


Secrets.

by Noahs_Chaos



Category: Bakuten Shoot Beyblade, Beyblade
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-12
Updated: 2020-10-21
Packaged: 2021-03-01 04:00:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 92,920
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23118865
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Noahs_Chaos/pseuds/Noahs_Chaos
Summary: Rei moves to a new city and makes new friends. He's warned to stay away from a certain group of boys. But a particular blue haired boy draws Rei in. There's a dark secret the bluenette and his friends are hiding and Rei wants to find out. But can Rei keep his secret safe in the meantime? AU
Relationships: Boris Kuznetsov | Bryan Kuznetsov/Original Female Character(s), Hiwatari Kai/Kon Rei | Ray Kon, Hiwatari Kai/Yuri Ivanov | Tala Valkov
Comments: 3
Kudos: 13





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fanfiction. Started posting it on Fanficiton.net and was suggested to post it here as well. Please leave a review. 
> 
> I do not own Beyblade.

“Rei? Hurry up. You’re going to be late and I need you to drop your brother off at school!" Rei awoke and heard his mother’s voice carry down the hallway as she tried for the second time to get her eldest son out of his room.

The boy groaned and rolled to stare at the ceiling. He stayed up way too late...again. His golden eyes followed a long decrepit crack that stretched the length of the ceiling above him before disappearing behind the wall. Rei yawned and stretched, overarching his back until it gave a very satisfying crack. Waking up in the mornings was not his forte, he never understood how anyone could be functional this early. He would much rather stay up most of the night and sleep until noon. He cursed whoever thought school needed to start at 8am.

Rei’s bedroom was nothing special. It was quite tiny and he shared it with his younger brother. Their beds were across from each other with a worn white dresser in between them. His brother Kevin’s bed was piled with numerous stuffed animals and his blankets in a heap in the corner. Kevin had already unpacked all his things the first day they moved into their new apartment. Rei, on the other hand hadn’t even bothered. There was a pile of cardboard boxes loosely stacked at the end of Rei’s twin bed as well as two suitcases underneath where his clothes were. 

Rei peeled himself out of bed and grabbed one of the suitcases out from under it. Wondering how long they would actually be staying in Toronto, he unzipped the worn, faded black suitcase. He learned years ago that his mother never kept them in one place for very long so he didn’t see the point in unpacking. He dug through the cluttered suitcase for something to wear. He settled on his favourite green t-shirt with a black, triple claw mark design over the left shoulder. He pulled out a pair of dark blue jeans and a dark grey zip up hoodie.

Once he was dressed, satisfied with his outfit of choice, Rei crossed the hallway to the bathroom. He may care a little about his clothes but his hair was the most important. Their bathroom had a slight mildew odor, that was lightly masked by the overwhelming smell of bleach that his mom had used on the ceiling where mould looked to be growing around the air vent. 

A small tub stretched the length of the bathroom, a bright flower curtain hanging from the rod above, trying to add some colour and brightness to the small room. The toilet and sink were across from each other, the room barely held one person.

Rei stumbled to the sink and cringed as he looked at himself in the mirror. He had made the mistake of going to bed with his hair wet the night before and now it was an unruly mess, sticking up in all directions. 

He had stared into the mirror. His amber eyes appeared dark and sunken in, he really needed to start getting more sleep. Rei picked up the paddle brush off the ceramic eggshell counter and started to rake through the thick black tangles. He pulled his hair into a low ponytail that rested at the nape of his neck. 

He sometimes missed having short hair, it was easier to manage. He thought back to when his mom had used a bowl as a guide to cut his hair. Rei cringed at the memory, he’d never let his mom near his head again with scissors after that. He picked up a red bandana that was hanging on the corner of the mirror. Folding it so it made a thin band, Rei tied it around his head and used it to push his bangs off his face.

Satisfied with his appearance, Rei brushed his teeth and walked back to his room to gather his things for school. He scooped up his hunter green backpack and tossed in a couple notebooks off the top of his dresser. He picked up his phone and his tangled headphones from the floor beside his bed and shoved them in his pocket. He put his thin leather wallet in his back pocket. He looked over his room, and once he was sure he didn't miss anything, he made his way down the short hallway to the kitchen where Rei could hear his mom and younger brother talking. 

The apartment wasn’t much, it was quite small but it was their new home. There was only one bedroom. The boys mom, Candace, insisted they take the room and that she slept on the couch. Rent was insane in this part of the city but she insisted it would be a nice change for them. A dresser against the wall doubled as a TV stand for a small TV and DVD player. The hallway was missing a few spots of drywall and copper piping and some electrical wires were showing in places. There was a vivid stain on the living room ceiling where water must have leaked from the apartment above. Rei walked into the small kitchen and headed over to the cupboard, grabbing a coffee cup out of one that didn’t have a door anymore.

“Morning mom. Morning Kev.” Rei muttered as he reached around his small mother for the coffee pot, pouring himself a cup and letting out a relieved sigh as he took a sip. How he had ever survived his younger years without it, he’d never know. 

Candace smiled and stood on her toes to kiss her son’s cheek. Rei’s mom was quite petite, maybe five feet with a small frame. She had the same black hair as her eldest and some asian features that her boys also shared. Rei got his height and build from his father whom he had never met, and Candace rarely talked about him. It didn’t bother Rei, from what he had heard about his sperm donor, he wasn't worth knowing. After seeing the hurt on Candace’s face the one time he asked about his father; he decided never to bring it up again.

“Good morning Rei Rei, I have money for both you and Kevin to buy lunches today. If I give you some extra can you pick up some groceries after school one day this week? I have to work a double today.” Candace smiled and handed her son the money. 

Rei nodded and took the money. He would get the groceries that day so they wouldn’t have to waste money on the overpriced school lunches again. It was an expense they really couldn't afford. They had never lived a luxurious life, but this was by far the closest to poverty they had been. “Yeah, of course. Can I drop Kevin off with you after school for an hour? I was hoping to fill out some job applications to” 

Candace nodded joyfully. “Of course you can. It’ll be nice to see you two and you can let me know all about your first day at school.”

She knelt down on the floor beside Kevin. The little boy was eating cereal and looking at a book with pictures of monkeys. Kevin was seven years old and was Rei’s half brother from a failed relationship. He had dark green hair and violet eyes that came from his father. Rei didn’t like his brother's father and Kevin had only been two when Candace left him and moved the three of them from Calgary to Thunderbay.

“C’mon sweetie you and Rei need to get going, you don’t want to be late do you?” Candace patted her younger son on the head. Kevin grinned and closed his book. He picked up his bowl and drank the rest of the milk before standing up to bring his bowl to the sink.

“Okay! Can I have chicken fingers for dinner?” He asked enthusiastically as Candace helped him put his books in his bag. Kevin couldn't ever stop thinking about food. The little boy picked up the bag and pulled it onto his back, the oversized hand-me-down sweater he wore bunched at the sleeved and he tugged them back down until they covered his hands.

“You can have anything you like so long as you behave for Rei today." Candace smiled warmly and hugged her smaller son who gave her a tight hug back. “Remember to hold your head up and seize the day. Then Rei Rei will pick you up after school.” She stood up and looked at her older son, “Take care of him.” 

Rei nodded, fighting not to roll his eyes as the petite woman’s overprotectiveness and pulled his headphones out of his pocket. After fighting to untangle them he put one ear bud in and put on one of his favourite bands. He stuck his phone back in his pocket. “We’ll be fine mom. I know where I’m going, we’ve been here a couple weeks now."

Candace nodded. “I know baby. I’m still going to worry. This city is a lot bigger than anywhere else we’ve lived."

“Maybe if we didn’t move so much, we’d have a chance to get comfortable.” Rei jabbed at his mother without even thinking about it. He knew he fucked up. He saw the hurt look on her face and let out a small sigh. “I’m sorry mom. It’s fine. I’ll text you when I drop Kevin off and then when I get to school okay?" 

Candace nodded once again and gave a small smile. She knew Rei was quick to anger and knew she could never tell him the real reasons they always had to keep moving. She continued to blame herself and failed relationships to keep her son safe. She crossed her arms in front of her, almost hugging herself. “Thank you Rei. I promise we won’t move again for a long time.” She waited until Kevin was outside before looking up at Rei “You took your medicine right?”  
Rei sighed and nodded, “Yes, I did and yes it’s still working” He smiled and kissed her cheek before walking out the door “Don’t worry so much. I’m good” He called as he shut the door behind him.

Rei didn’t believe that they wouldn’t move again soon. Candace had said that many times, yet anytime she got out of a relationship or Rei got suspended for fighting she would move them to a new town and they could start fresh. 

They now lived in Toronto, it was a huge change compared to Kingston where they had lived previously. Rei and his family lived in the basement apartment of a triplex in Davenport. The schools they went to bordered the Davenport and Rosedale districts. Davenport being where the average income lived and Rosedale being one of the most expensive areas to live in the city.

Rei wasn’t looking forward to going to a school with rich stuck up kids but this was where they had to go based on where they lived. Rei grew up on the streets and wasn't sure if he could fit in with his rich peers. 

He followed Kevin up the crumbling concrete steps that led down to their apartment. It wasn’t a bad area they lived in, their neighbours kept to themselves and it was a quiet street. Kevin led the way as he bounced down the sidewalk, skipping and making sure not to step on any cracks.

The September morning air chilled Rei and prompted him to zip up his sweater. He winced from the wind, regretting not having worn a jacket. He wondered if Kevin was warm enough. They would bundle him up tomorrow. It wasn't normally this cold at this time of year, a brief cold system had blown as a reminder of what was to come in the coming months.

Rei had run this route with Kevin a few times over the past week, making sure they knew the right way to go and Rei wanted to make sure there weren’t any sketchy characters living near them that he should watch out for. 

Kevin’s elementary school was three blocks away from the apartment and as they got closer, the screams and chatter of the school yard could be heard. It was too early for this shit, Rei thought.

Kevin slowed down as they neared the school. He seemed excited about all the kids in the yard. He stopped at the fence and waited for Rei to catch up. “You don’t have to come in with me, I’ll be okay.” Kevin looked up at his brother and grinned, a hint of a fang tooth peeking over his lip. “I’m not a baby anymore.” He said and crossed his arms over his chest. 

Rei laughed and glanced at his brother then back at the school yard. “Alright, off you go then. I’ll pick you up at the gate after school. Then we can go see mom. It’s a big city and not as friendly as our old neighbourhood so make sure you wait for me, please.” Kevin shook his head in agreement and turned to leave, waving Rei off as he ran through the school yard. 

Rei stood at the fence and watched Kevin run up to a teacher and start talking to her. The teacher smiled and took Kevin’s hand, leading him over to a small group of boys around Kevin’s size. The confidence his brother had amazed Rei as he watched Kevin start to talk with the new kids as if he’d been at the school since kindergarten. 

Once Rei knew Kevin would be fine and settled in, he continued on the five more blocks to his school. He put both his headphones in and turned the volume up, getting lost in the sounds of the music screaming through the tiny speakers. Rei hated starting a new school the most about all the moving. It felt like as soon as he’d get comfortable and starting to enjoy himself and make friends then Candace would decide they needed to move. 

The family had stayed in Kingston for over two years. It was the longest Rei had ever remembered staying in one place. He had spent his first two years of high school at the same school and had actually made some great friends. Since they had moved a few hours away and didn’t have a vehicle, Rei didn’t think he’d get to see them again. Maybe if he had called or messaged them, but he didn't want to bother anyone. They probably forgot about him already.

As Rei got to the school he started to get nervous. He could feel it building in his stomach. What if he didn’t register early enough and wasn’t even able to start school? What if the classes he wanted were already full and he was stuck in boring classes that meant nothing to him. What if his credits didn’t transfer or what if the graduation requirements were different than his other school. These were the things Rei wondered as the school came into sight. He took a deep breath and tried to portray the confidence he didn’t feel. He had mastered that at this point.

Rei rounded the corner in the yard towards his new school, Baker High. He subtly looked around as he went towards the huge building. His last school was tiny compared to this, in fact he didn’t think had ever seen a school this massive and with this many people. His confidence began faltering when he looked at the groups of friends gathering around tables and standing around talking while they waited for the bell to signal they had to head to class. 

He observed the sitting area where a small group of people were sitting on and around a picnic table. A tall, lean and dark skinned boy was laughing while spinning a basketball on his finger. He gave his friend sitting on top of the table a small shove. The hat on the boy who was on the table fell off. He leaned back to try and grab it before it hit the ground, causing the boy to fall off the table. He laughed as he placed the hat on his head and stood back up, and leaned against a girl who was typing avidly on her laptop. She glanced up at the boy before showing him something on the computer. 

Rei watched them for a moment longer before walking up the steps into the large building. If he thought there were a lot of people outside, he would be overwhelmed by the amount gathered in the hallway. It reeked of cheap perfume and cologne as well as musty paper. Students were leaning up against lockers, some just chatting with friends, others gathering their books they would need for the first classes. Rei looked around, trying not to make it obvious he had no idea where he was supposed to go as he looked for the office to get registered and get his schedule. 

As Rei walked the densely populated hallway he noticed a locker with printed pictures all over it. Upon further inspection he saw there were cards taped to the front and flowers and various items piled in front. It looked like a shrine. Forgetting about finding the office Rei detoured towards the locker. Rei had a knack for curiosity and discovery and he figured it would get him killed one day.

He looked at the small pictures, all of them containing the same boy either on his own or with other people. He had large glasses that looked to be too big for his face and light brown hair that hung to his wide ears. In the pictures he looked happy, but in some you could see the desperate look in his eyes and that the smile was likely forced. Rei started reading the cards and posts on the locker.   
"Wish you were here."  
"Gone too young."   
Rei felt a bit of pity, it was obvious the boy was no longer alive. He was curious as to what happened to the guy. he always needed to know more.

“His name was Kenny." A masculine voice behind Rei piped up, causing him to jump slightly from surprise. He turned around swiftly and observed the blond haired boy behind him. That must be who was talking. Was he talking to me? Rei asked himself. Rei pulled his earbud out to listen closely.

The boy in front of him had vibrant sky blue eyes and a bridge of freckles over his plump nose. He was about Rei’s height he guessed. The mysterious boy had round features with a notable childish innocence about him. Rei thought he was trying to be friendly. “I’m Max. You must be new here.” The boy offered his hand to Rei to shake it.

Rei shook the boy’s hand. It was an awkward and limp encounter. “Rei.”He laughed nervously. “That obvious I’m new huh?” He said as he scratched the back of his head. “So what happened to the kid?”

“No one really knows. Just that he was bullied and most everyone says it was a suicide. But I don’t buy it, I’ve known Kenny my whole life and it doesn’t seem like something he would do. I just wish he would have talked to me." Max’s voice cracked, it was hard for him to talk about one of his best friends being gone. His cheerful demeanor flickered for a moment.   
“Anyways, if you want I can take you to the office and then show you around to your classes? I have fitness first thing, so I think I could skip that and be a good Samaritan for the new kid.” He said grinning, acting cheerful once again.

“Yeah that would be great! Thanks man.” He smiled back. Rei followed Max towards the office, listening as the blonde teen showed him the cafeteria and other rooms that he felt Rei should know on the way. They passed many students and Max seemed to know them all. They liked him.

It amazed Rei that he could keep track of all the other kids. Rei tried to take note of everything Max was saying. He was talking pretty fast and the chatter of the halls distracted Rei. A colorful poster for the schools clubs caught his eye. It looked interesting, he’d have to come and check the poster out later and see if there was anything interesting. 

The next thing he knew he was getting shoved into a group of grey lockers. Trying to regain his balance he was ready to shove the person back who pushed him. His knee jerk reaction was to fight.

“C’mon Bry he just got here!” Max said glaring at the taller boy in front of them. He didn't seem afraid of the bigger kid.

“Consider it my warm welcome, Maxy.” The lavender haired boy teased as he walked off without even looking at them. Rei watched him go and let it be. If he got suspended or expelled for picking fights again his mom would be pissed, especially if it happened on the first day.

The bully was abnormally tall and towered over all of the kids in the hallway. He wore a clean white T-shirt and a denim jacket over it with the sleeves pushed up. Even with the jacket it was obvious the teen was well built. Dark jeans hung low on his hips and thick brown combat boots which only added to his height. 

“It’s fine Max.” Rei tried to sound relaxed as his eyes flashed with anger. He picked up his bag that had fallen off his shoulder. Rei already didn’t like the older boy, but he wasn’t stupid enough to pick a fight with a brick wall either. “He’ll get what’s coming to him eventually."

Max didn’t say anything more as the two walked the rest of the short distance to the office. The final bell had signaled and Rei was amazed by how fast the hallways emptied. He left Max in the hall and went into the office to talk to the secretary. 

When Rei was done in the office and had his new timetable and locker, he walked back out to Max who was waiting for him in the hallway talking to the girl with the glasses Rei had seen earlier outside. 

“Rei, this is Emily. She’s one of the smartest people I know. Get on her good side and she’ll even help you pass math! If you need it.” Max said with a smile. Emily held her laptop in one hand and held her other hand out for Rei to shake.

“Pleasure to meet you, Rei. Max mentioned you already had a run in with our favourite asshole Bryan.” The sarcasm basically dripping from her voice. 

Rei shook the shorter girls hand more firmly than his last shake and smiled back. “He seems like a great guy, maybe we could be friends. Do you think he would show me around too?" his sarcasm mimicking the orange hair girls. He liked her already.

“I think we’ll make great friends Rei, don't sweat it about Bryan. We’ll see you at lunch. Max can introduce you to the rest of our friends." Emily said before standing on her tiptoes to give Max a kiss on the cheek and and disappearing around the corner. 

“So what classes do you have?” Max asked as he took Rei schedule out of his hand before Rei had a chance to even answer him. “Ew academic English first thing in the morning? With Biology right after? Hey you have Tech with Tyson and I. He’s great you’ll like him. Man, you end your day with Chemistry? Your schedule sucks.” He groaned sympathetically and handed Rei back the paper. Rei noticed how rapidly words fell out of the blonde haired boys mouth. It was charming. “At least you have Chem and Bio with Em. She’s a genius!”

Rei laughed at how much Max adored his girlfriend. He took his schedule back from Max. “Well Bio and Tech weren’t really my first choices. I tried taking a Geography and World History courses. They must have been full. Are you going to get in trouble for skipping or anything?" Rei asked, noticing the halls were completely empty but the two of them.

Max shook his head as he started leading Rei to his locker so he could unpack his things before his English class. “No, I’ll just let him know that I was showing the new guy around. Coach will understand. But for real, who thought having to exert so much physical energy this early in the morning was a good idea?!” Max stopped in front of a row of lockers. “So here’s your locker, mines just farther down the hall so that's pretty sweet." The friendly boy seemed sure of what he said.

Rei opened his locker and tossed his bag inside before grabbing a pen and notepad. He hated carrying a lot around with him so he just grabbed the essentials. “I wouldn’t want to do physical work that early in the morning either. It should be against the rules. At least I have one class with you and will sort of know someone today. Thanks man." Rei felt relieved he didn't get into the morning fitness class. The raven haired boy shut his locker and the two started walking to Rei’s first class. He really didn’t want to go, he was already late for class so everyone would be staring at him when he walked in. He didn't mind socializing but he can't stand being the centre of attention in a crowd.

“Well it’s your fault for being so smart. I can’t do most of those classes. You’ll meet the rest of the gang at lunch. Trust me you and Tyson will hit it off great.” Was he always this welcoming? 

“If you say so… Thanks again for showing me around!” Rei said as they got to his first classroom. 

“Hey anytime, just ask! I’ll text Em and have her bring you to our lunch table after the second period. Good luck!” Max exclaimed before bouncing down the hallway no doubt going somewhere he could hide from the hall monitors walking the halls and avoiding his early class. 

Rei took a deep breath and opened the door to his first class. The teacher stopped talking as soon as Rei walked in. Great.

“You're late.” The teacher stated, clearly annoyed. “You must be Rei. You can take a seat in front of Kai and Tala” The teacher said pointing towards two boys, one with vibrant red hair, he didn’t look up from the book he was reading. The other boy had slate coloured hair with dark blue throughout it. Rei locked eyes with the blue haired boy. 

He couldn’t look away and was mesmerized by the deep red colour of his eyes. They were such an unnatural colour and he was fixated by them. Quickly shaking his head, Rei looked down. He could feel his cheeks warm as he blushed with embarrassment and quickly hurried to his seat. Rei took out his notebook and quickly started jotting down notes as the teacher talked, his mind occasionally wandering back to the bluenette behind him.

Rei finished his morning classes with ease. He was relieved the blue haired boy wasn’t in his net class. He enjoyed his Biology class and was placed in Emily’s group for a project they would be starting. He was surprised to be getting so many assignments and homework, it was only the second week of the school year. 

As the two got their food and proceeded out to the courtyard where most of the kids at the school seemed to be enjoying the beautiful clear weather, there was still a breeze. Rei scanned around just taking in the sight of all kids and their lunches. 

Rei spotted the bully, Bryan, who had pushed him into a locker this morning. He was standing with two other boys under a tree on the far side of the courtyard, away from everyone else but close enough they could still see exactly what was going on around them. He noticed they were the two from his English class. 

The redhead, who was almost a head shorter than Bryan was standing against the tree taking a drag out of a cigarette. He had a thin frame and almost looked femine standing next to Bryan. He was watching something Bryan was showing him on his phone. Wearing a light coloured long sleeve shirt with the sleeves pushed up, the cold didn’t appear to bother him at all. 

The blue haired boy was sitting at the base of the tree, texting intently on his phone. He wore black fitted jeans and with a black shirt that fit his form perfectly. He took a drag off what Rei assumed was a joint by how he had it tucked in his hand before handing it to Bryan, not taking his eyes off the screen in front of him. They must have some balls smoking weed on school property like that. He hadn’t noticed how well dressed the two in his class had been before. They were definitely well off. He was surprised they were friends with someone like Bryan, they didn’t seem to follow in the same social circle by their appearances. 

Rei couldn’t help but stare at the blue haired boy and completely zoned out from what Emily was telling him. He didn’t know why the boy caught his attention. He didn’t look like anything out of the ordinary but Rei couldn’t help himself. 

“Hello? Earth to Rei. Are you listening?” Emily tried to get his attention once she noticed Rei had stopped walking with her. She looked over to who he was staring at. The blue haired boy looked up from his phone and locked eyes with Rei. Rei quickly looked away, embarrassed for what felt like the millionth time today.

“Who exactly are those guys? Two of them are in my English class” He felt inquisitive and questioned Emily as he started walking with her again. He knew she loved explaining everything.

“The two with Bryan? The blue haired one is Kai, he's Bryan’s brother. The other one is Tala. His parents work with Kai’s uncle so he stays with them a lot. But I’d stay away from them if I were you." Emily said as they got to the table where her friends were. She took a seat in between Max and Tyson, stealing a fry from Tyson as she sat down. Tyson whined.

Rei took a seat next to the dark skinned boy he had seen this morning. “Rei this is Eddy, he’s the captain of the basketball team.” Emily introduced Rei to Eddy while taking a bite of her sandwich. “And you met Tyson already today.”

Rei nodded and said hi to Eddy before picking away at his lunch and listening to his new friends banter back and forth, going on about school assignments and sport events. Rei found himself looking back over to the group under the tree. He couldn’t help but wonder about the blue haired boy and why he needed to stay away from them. He understood Bryan, the guy didn’t even know Rei and was shoving him into lockers. 

“So what’s the deal with those guys. They seem loaded. Are they like our age?” Rei finally piped up finishing his lunch. He had been hungry all morning from skipping breakfast. Now he still had questions he needed answers to.

“Yeah they're crazy rich, and well Tala and Kai are our age. Who knows about Bryan man, Dude’s probably failed back a few years. Sometimes I wonder if he even goes to class at all." Laughed Tyson. “Anyways, everyone just stays clear of them.” Rei waited for Tyson to say more but the other boy didn’t elaborate.

“Well I’d stay away from Bryan for sure. Tala isn’t to bad. He just keeps to himself, he’s in my Geography class. Kai doesn’t really say much either. If you saw that mural outside the office, Kai and Olyvia did it the end of last year.” Eddy said as he took a sip of his coke.

Rei nodded to show he understood as he looked back over at the boys by the tree. They really didn’t look like much. Just spoiled assholes. Other than the fact Bryan looked he should be in college and not at highschool they seemed pretty average to Rei. Kai didn't seem the type to have a girlfriend from far away, but Rei could see why girls would be attracted to him. He had a nice build and weird hair like Rei had. Rei wondered where this girlfriend was and what she looked like.

The rest of the day went by in a blur, he went to his last two classes and was given assignments in both of them. At the end of the day Rei made sure to walk by the mural near the office, curious to see what it was. He walked down the hallway and looked at the graffiti like design taking up the whole wall around the office entrance. It was a collage of bright vibrant colours and designs. He was impressed by the technique and skill that went into the piece. It had the school’s name and logo in the middle of it. The school colours fading out around it. Kai could really paint. He was surprised he had missed it the first time he went to the office.

Rei hung around the school and worked on a couple assignments until he had to go get Kevin. He picked up his brother who babbled about his day the whole walk to the club Candace worked at. Rei was relieved his day was almost over. He was exhausted.


	2. Chapter 2

Kai walked with Bryan and Tala as they made their way up the steps into the school. The warning bell called out to guide everyone to their classes on time. Bryan was bragging about his run in with the new student that he had met yesterday. Seemingly proud of how he had already checked him into a locker. 

“What can I say, I was bored." Bryan shrugged and laughed as he opened the door for Kai and Tala to enter. 

“You can’t just go around and bully who ever you want Bry, even with your uncle’s money I’m sure the principal will still expel you eventually.” Tala lectured in response as the trio approached Kai’s classroom. “You can’t exactly be a bodyguard or whatever if you're no longer allowed in the building."

“You know just as well as I do, I can do no wrong here. Age difference alone, I shouldn’t be at this damn school but here I am.” Bryan elaborated on his point nonchalantly, obviously not caring about his friend's cautious words. “I just wanted to give him a warm welcome to our school that’s all…” His voice trailed off as Kai walked away from them and walked into his first period classroom.

The classroom was fluorescently lit and crowded. Kai scanned the group for his preferred desk and sat down. This classroom was the same as the previous year's english class. He was already miserable about being forced to be there. What was the point anyway? His uncle wouldn't let him do anything with his education, he assumed. 

Tala walked in and took his seat beside Kai. The blue haired boy seemed more quiet than usual. “You know he does things like this just to get a reaction out of you.” 

Kai nodded and glanced over at the door as the new kid hurried in, just as the bell was ringing. What was it about the boy that drew Kai to him. He was nothing special, and looked like your average kid from the west end. 

“Your staring at him again” Tala warned, nudging his friend to break his trance. The red head rolled his eyes as Kai jumped slightly from the contact.

“I wasn’t staring” the boy muttered as he turned to look out the window. School was something Kai could do without. He had an eidetic memory which meant he knew things only after learning about them for the first time. He didn’t need to be here but this was another “test” his uncle felt he needed. There were many other ways Kai thought he could get the same results and not have to be subjected to mindless learning in a classroom of idiots who didn’t understand anything and made the teachers repeat the same lesson over and over before finally their tiny minds grasped the concept. 

Kai felt his phone shake in his pocket so he glanced at his smart watch to read the text. He shook his wrist quickly to darken the screen as if to erase it. He didn’t want to answer the message and hoped the sender would take his silence as a hint and leave him alone.

Mr. Jones started class the second the final bell rang. Kai went back to gazing out the window, he assumed they were going to be doing a project on the book they were given to read over the summer. He listened absently at the instructions of the assignment. It was to be done with partners. Kai would partner with Tala and they would get the project done quickly and still pull off a perfect grade. Tala wasn’t the best at English which made Kai the perfect partner for him.

“Rei you can be paired with Kai, he’s an excellent resource on how I like the assignments written and the format to follow.” The teacher's voice bellowed and shook Kai out of his trance. His words snapped Kai’s attention back to him. Wait, I’m suppose to be partners with Tala 

Kai instinctively looked at the dark haired boy who had looked back at him, golden eyes full of curiosity.. He felt a ball of nerves growing in his stomach. Why does this kid keep looking at me?

Kai just nodded. So much for his plan. Taking out a piece of paper, Kai started jotting down quick notes on what Mr. Jones was looking for and how he wanted it done. He continued to ignore the sporadic vibration of his watch and phone as he kept getting text messages.

The bell rang signaling the end of class, Kai tossed his books back in his bag and got up to leave.   
“Hey so I guess we’re partners. When did you want to start this thing." Rei had gotten up and to Kai’s desk faster then he thought was possible. The boy Kai was trying to avoid was already right in front of him.

“Here’s the notes of what Jones wants. We’re doing Catcher in the Rye so why don’t you start by reading the book and making notes about the things you think are key points and I’ll just write the assignment after.” Kai informed Rei and shoved a neatly folded piece of paper into the dark haired boys chest.

“That’s not how I do things.” Rei said back, taking the paper anyway. “So why don’t we agree on where to meet or you give me your number so we can figure out a time that way. Plus I’ve already read the book three times I think I understand it by now." Rei's voice matched the same venomous tone that Kai had used on him in the first place. 

Bewildered and irritated, Kai could do nothing but look at Rei. He wasn’t used to people talking back to him let alone wanting to actually help with an assignment. Usually they were happy to let him do all the work.

“Whatever.” Kai took out a scrap piece of paper and scribbled a number on it. He hadn't wanted to bother with taking his phone out and typing. He still needed to ignore his messages. “Text me Thursday, we'll go after school to this coffee shop.” Kai instructed the boy opposite to him on what to do.

Kai handed the paper to Rei and walked away before the other boy could say something to him. He hurried into the hall hoping to avoid any more people on his way out. His patience thinned further with each passing second.

“Hey Kai!” The boy stopped walking at the sound of a high pitched voice behind him. He sighed, really just wanting to go outside and take a break from the crowds of the school. 

“Hey Liv” He said quietly as a green haired girl walked up beside him, she looked up at her friend, concern in her eyes

“Not having a good day huh?” Olyvia observed instantly. She had been friends with Kai since the start of high school and considered him one of her best friends. She had vibrant green hair and steel grey eyes. Olyvia was quite a bit shorter than Kai and always dressed in french designer clothing. She had a french accent from living most of her young childhood in France. Her family had moved to Toronto for work a couple years ago. 

Kai still remembered how the little green haired girl had wormed her way into a friendship with them during their first art class together in the ninth grade. Most everyone thought they were in a relationship and most days Kai assumed they were as well. They acted a lot like couples did. Or so he thought. He wasn’t entirely sure as he tried not to get attached to people. “Want to get out of here?” She asked as she took his hand to guide him out of the school “I can think of something to distract you if you're interested?”

Kai nodded and let the familiar girl lead him towards the door. If anyone else were to touch him right now, he’d probably punch them. Olyvia helped ground him and was good at reading when he wasn’t having a good time. “You just want to fuck in Bryan’s car before he gets the chance to” he said with a slight smirk as he noticed the smaller girls ears flush with embarassement

“Are you going to object to it?” The girl asked as they walked through the doors to outside. It was bright and warm out. Olyvia wondered if the art teacher would bring the class outside this time

“No, but let’s make it quick. I don’t want to be late for the only class I like” He spotted his brother and friend under the old maple tree that they hung out with every break. He knew they would be judging him as they walked past towards the SUV that Bryan had just gotten not even a week ago. It still smelled like a brand new car. He knew his brother would be annoyed but at this moment Kai didn’t care. He would welcome any distraction from the anxiety taking over his every thought. 

“I don’t want to be late for class either. I know you like this one. I just also know you need a distraction and to get out of the school. Was English that hard on you this morning?” The shorter girl asked as the continued to walk to the car. She saw Kai look over at his brother and friend. Bryan creeped her out, there was something about his eyes that gave her the chills. She quickly looked away, not wanting the older boy to know she was staring at him. She continued to lead Kai to the new car. 

Bryan made eye contact with Kai and gave the younger boy a sympathetic look as he watched the little green haired girl lead him past the tree towards the car, knowing full well what was going to happen. Tala didn’t show the same sympathy, instead glaring at the two and rolling his eyes as he took a drag from his cigarette.

“You need to get over it Tala, you had your chance with Kai and you lost it.” Bryan reasoned as he stopped leaning against the tree and stretched his arms above his head, “Though I’d wish they didn’t have to always use my car. What happened to the days of just fucking in the janitor closet."

Tala tossed the dart on the ground and ran his hand through his red hair as he exhaled the smoke from his lungs. His ice blue eyes glancing once more towards the vehicle the two had gotten into. It was a space gray Land Rover Discovery with black tinted windows, which made the events happening inside that much more private. “No, you didn’t exactly give me much of a choice in the matter. Not that being threatened makes it any easier to watch.” Tala turned away from the parking lot. He stuck his hand in his back pocket and pulled a pack of smokes out. 

“Give him a break Princess. She’s his only friend anymore and helps him out quite a bit ” Bryan said, ignoring Tala’s comment as the two started walking towards the school. He took a final hit off the joint in his hand before tossing it aside. He knew he was part of the reason Kai didn’t have many friends.

“I doubt he even fucking likes her” Tala sneered, while flicking ashes of the end of his smoke.

Bryan shrugged and rolled his eyes. Tala was showing too much emotion for him to be able to handle. “Or how about, he does and you're just being a little bitch.” He was getting quite annoyed with the weight the conversation was beginning to carry. He sought out ways to change the subject. “And stop smoking so much. Those things'll kill you."

Tala stopped walking, turned and raised his eyebrow at Bryan. Sizing up his friend. Tala scoffed as he took the final drag off his smoke before tossing it aside.“Yeah? What about the drugs you usually use? Or the amount of alcohol you consume?” 

Bryan shoved the smaller boy. “Fuck off Princess.” He deflected the question.

Tala gave Bryan a shove back, making sure to push on a healing wound on Bryan’s upper right arm. He hated the nickname Bryan had given him. He smirked when the older boy hissed in pain. “How’s that healing?” 

“It could be worse, I could’ve wound up like the other guy.” Bryan gloated and showed his teeth, moving out the way this time when Tala went to push him again.

“Might not want to broadcast that, some people are already suspicious enough with you being the only one around when it happened.” Tala warned as he leaned up against the school's bricks.

“What are they going to do? There is no physical evidence and it was already ruled as a suicide. I was just protecting my innocent ass when he came at me with a gun. I answered all their pointless questions." Bryan said defensively. "Sometimes you do what you need to, to survive. You should know all about that Princess.” With that Bryan headed inside, leaving Tala behind. 

Tala was visibly frustrated. He always hated how observant and socially aware Bryan was. He never let on his intelligence which made him even more dangerous than people already thought he was. He could put on a facade but when pushed, it was obvious how lethal the older boy could be. Tala had seen it on multiple occasions and was glad he was on Bryan’s good side at all times. 

Tala turned back to the lot, wondering if his friend was actually enjoying himself.. His gaze covered the vehicle and it's tinted windows. He never understood the relationship Kai and Olyvia shared. Tala felt his heart plummet into his shoes at the thought of her hands all over him. Her lips taking up space where Tala's should be. Kai probably wanted nothing to do with it. Tala coughed and finished his third cigarette before heading inside to get to his second class before the bell rang. 

Tala was sitting beside Bryan in class, absently taking notes as he wondered how much longer the bluenette would be with his friend. He wasn’t a fan of Olyvia, but Bryan was right, Kai didn’t make friends easily, nor did he ever seem interested in people. As much as he didn’t like the green haired girl, maybe she would help Kai out of his shell and the boy would start to see what he was actually worth. His phone vibrated, breaking him from his thoughts. Tala looked down at the text from Kai. His heart quivered at the sight of his best friend's screen name.

Kai: Meet me by the tree,  
Tala: Fine, be right there. 

Tala shoved his phone back in his pocket and raised his hand to be excused. Grabbing his bag he walked out of the room. He sent a text to Bryan as he was leaving letting him know he was heading outside to meet Kai. He lit a smoke as he walked across the courtyard to the tree where Kai was already waiting.

“She couldn’t stay out here with you?” Tala seethed as he walked up to Kai.

Kai didn't seem bothered by it."It looks suspicious when we go back to class together.” He explained and stood up. “Can you help me out?” he asked as he locked eyes with his friend. Tala knew what he meant by help.

Tala braced himself as he looked up at Kai, the boy was a couple inches taller than him. He remembered when he met Kai and how much shorter the boy used to be even though they were only a year apart. Tala struggled with a thin feeling of betrayal that veiled his judgement. 

“Sit down you’re too tall." Tala stated as he held his bag in front of him and started to dig through it for a small bag he knew was at the bottom. He needed to take his mind off of his jealousy for the benefit of his friend.

“You always liked me being taller.” He teased, the smirk along with it faded as quickly as it arrived. Kai felt guilty for a moment and it subsided when he saw the look on his friend's face. He wasn't sure why. “Thanks again”.

“It’s whatever. If you're going to keep this up, maybe tell her to stop acting like she’s twelve and leaving marks all over your neck. It's pathetic.” Tala attacked Olyvia as he knelt beside the other boy and pulled out a small bag from his backpack. “It’s going to get you in trouble one of these days." Tala tried to cover up his envy with feigned concern.

“They’re not from her, Tal.” Kai tilted his head to the side as Tala started to apply concealer to the marks lining his friend's neck. He didn’t feel like explaining where they really came from, though he knew his friend knew “The stuff I put on this morning rubbed off a bit”

“I know where they are from.” Tala regretted saying that just as soon as he said it. Kai felt that comment, it stung. It wasn't really a conversation he wanted to get into with his closest friend. He and Tala used to be much closer and Kai missed it. To this day he still wasn’t sure what he had done, for Tala to put a wall up between the two. Kai thought Tala might not like him anymore. Maybe he sticks around for the money.

He’d never forget the day, it had been so out of the blue a couple weeks in summer vacation. Tala had been sick for over a month, not being able to keep any food down and getting nauseous over the most random things. One night when Kai had gone to sleep in his room as usual, Tala had told him this would be their last night and Kai had to start sleeping in his own room again. He hated it and barely slept for a whole night now. 

“Not much I can do about that. Come on." He wanted to change the subject quickly.“So I’m going to meet Rei at the coffee shop on Jefferson St. on Thursday. Do you want to tag along with Michael and we can just get this assignment done?"

Tala raised his eyebrow as he finished blending his work with a little powder. He had matched Kai's skin tone pretty much perfectly.

“Michael’s an idiot. I told him I would do it myself and just put his name on it. He seemed fine with that.” Tala put his products back in his bag and closed it up, standing up he offered a hand to help Kai.

“I guess that’s one way to do it. I’ll help you out with it on the weekend. Boris isn’t home for a couple more weeks.” Kai stated as he took Tala’s hand. Tala pulled away and brushed his shirt. “Think Bryan will be fine since the coffee shop is close to his work?” Kai asked.

“Pretty sure he works that night so if he knows I’ll be with you he should be fine with it.” The two walked towards the school, neither wanting to be there but neither having a choice in the matter.

Lunch time rolled around and Rei walked with Emily once again to what he had learned was his friends table where they always liked to sit. He seemed to be part of the group now. Rei looked over at the tree as he took his seat to see the same three boys standing there again. 

He had overheard the conversation Bryan and Tala had been having between the first two periods. He had been outside getting some fresh air between classes. Had they seen him? The school had felt stale and confined, all he was doing was getting some sun. It's not like he followed them out there. Rei needed to know more about their cryptic discussion and wondered if he could get closer to Kai to find out the truth about this suicide Bryan mentioned. He wondered if it was Kenny they were talking about, he needed to uncover the details that only the lavender haired teenager seemed to know.

“So have any of you guys ever been partners with Kai for a project?” Rei asked randomly, trying to seem apart of the conversations going around the table that he had zoned out of.

Max nodded “I have a couple times. He likes to be the one to put the final assignment together. I doubt he actually uses any of the information his partners give him. But the marks have always been good. “Naw, no-one's ever been Kai’s partner for anything. He sticks to himself and convinces the teachers that he can do the assignments himself. Emily was partners with him last year for their whole chemistry class. They just happened to be sitting beside each other.``

“It was really hit or miss how interactive he was. He missed a lot of Mondays but he did always make sure if an assignment was due that I had his part to add.” Emily piped up from beside her boyfriend. “Though we never got together outside of class for these assignments. He is fairly well-spoken and insightful. When he did talk he knew what he was talking about."

“I got partnered up with him for English and he gave me his number and told me to text him this week and we’d meet up at a coffee shop down the road.” Rei could still feel the slip of paper in his pocket. His face flushed slightly as how excited he was to be partners with this boy. Kai was one of the most intriguing mysteries in Rei's new life.

Emily noticed the slight redness upon Rei’s cheeks. She wondered if she should tell him that Kai wasn’t his type and that he had a girlfriend. She decided against it. “You should feel special. He kind of stopped talking to all of us after Kenny died.”

“What happened?” Rei asked, taking a bite of his sandwich and looking at his blonde friend who had gone quiet.

“I’m not really sure. We started off the year as normal. Kai and I had been friends since elementary school though he left for a few years and came back at the start of high school. He was different then and prefered Tala’s company to ours but he would still sit with us and hang out most of the time. Then like Emily said, Kenny died and Kai’s been ignoring us ever since.” Max informed Rei as he focused on his hands. He missed his friend. He, Tyson and Kai used to hang out together a lot when they were kids.

“What about Bryan? Has he always been around?” Rei was very curious about the three boys at the tree. But he didn’t want his new friends to think he was weird for wanting to know so much about them.

“He’s Kai’s older brother. We don’t really know much beyond that and that he’s a first-rate bully and gets his kicks out of treating everyone like shit. Either way Kai is never alone.” Emily answered Rei’s question looking at him curiously. “So maybe you’ll be lucky and Tala will join you while you two work on the assignment."

“This thing with Kenny doesn’t make sense to me… you guys said he was a happy kid and that you didn’t think he’d ever commit suicide.” Rei couldn’t help but ask the questions. Curiosity had always gotten the best of him

“Man, it doesn’t make sense. He was literally at school for three days and seemed in a great mood. He couldn’t stop talking about this discovery he made in the summer” Tyson piped up between bites of his burger.

“What kind of discovery?’ Rei asked, noticing the warning glance that Emily and Max gave the boy with the hat who seemed oblivious to the signs

“He called it the Hiwatari Experiment. Said it was some top secret Russian thing that did like experiments on kids and whatever to make them better” Tyson shrugged. “Sounds like something you’d read in a book or see in a movie to me.”

Rei only nodded as he glanced to the boys under the tree, then back to Tyson “Is that all?” 

Max shoved a second burger at Tyson to keep the boy from talking again “Yeah that’s all Rei. It’s just some crazy conspiracy thing that Kenny got to wrapped up in. Can we drop it?”

Rei nodded and took one more glance at the group under the tree. He was so mesmerized by them and the more he learned, the less he felt like he knew. He joined in on the conversations with his new friends, trying to keep his mind off Kai and his entourage. There was definitely something about them. The suicide with Kenny was very interesting to Rei and he was sure Bryan and Kai were some how connected to it.


	3. Chapter 3

Rei sat in his computer tech class absently working on the assignment displayed on his monitor. They were supposed to be editing a picture to match the example of the one the teacher had on the screen at the front of the room. Technology had never been a friend of Rei’s and he was struggling with how to get the colours to change on only parts of the pictures. 

Sighing in defeat of the assignment, he pulled out the small scrap piece of paper with Kai’s number on it, deciding he should find out where he needed to meet Kai to do the english project. project after school. He couldn't believe how fast the week had gone by. The long haired boy was starting to feel shy about seeing the guy from his english class.

Rei: Hey it’s Rei, where’s this coffee shop I’m going to:)?”  
Kai: Meet at the entrance, We’ll give you a ride.

Rei looked at the text, surprised by how fast he got the response. Clearly Kai was paying as much attention to his lessons as Rei was. He put his phone back in his pocket and went back to working on his assignment. He paused, and stared at his screen as it dawned on him. Who does Kai mean by "we"? 

He leaned over to Tyson who was sitting beside him playing a pinball machine game instead of doing his work. “Does Kai ride to school with Tala and Bryan?” Rei questioned.

Tyson continued tapping at his game, eyes glued to the screen. “Yeah, Bryan drives them like every day.” He paused the game. “Why?” Tyson became more attentive when he realised what Rei was asking about.

Rei stretched his arms and leaned back in his chair, causing it to creak. “Kai and I are working on our English assignment after school day. He told me he’d give me a ride, now knowing Bryan’s going to be here, I think I’d rather walk.”

“Man, don’t worry about it. They’ve got some pretty sick rides. I’d go for it.” Tyson was a car fanatic who never seemed to stop talking about them. Of course he would take the ride even if it was with the guys who lurk around the tree at lunch. “Plus, Bryan really isn’t that bad of a guy. He’s done some cool shit for us growing up, like get us alcohol and stuff.”

Rei just nodded and went back to his work. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad. He just hoped that Bryan wouldn’t stay at the coffee shop with them. He remembered Emily saying that Bryan or Tala was always seen with the blue haired boy. Rei wondered why he wouldn't be trusted to be left alone. “So why is Bryan or Tala always with him?”

Tyson shrugged and continued to play his game “I think it has something to do when Kai got homeschooled for a few years when we were kids. I heard Bryan went to Juvie around that time too. He’s just a really protective older brother who’s not very smart and that’s why he’s still stuck in highschool.”

Rei stopped as Tyson started talking, he was liking the fact his ball cap wearing friend seemed to not have a care in the world and didn’t care what he said. “Really? What happened there?” Rei asked, he might as well keep asking the questions if Tyson was going to continue to answer them. 

“Beats me. Kai just told us he wanted to be homeschooled and he was better for the rest of elementary school. He claimed he learned a lot more useful things that way but his uncle insisted he come back to school for highschool.” Tyson sighed and swore silently as he lost his game. He was so close to beating his high score. 

“And what about Bryan and Juvie? Do you know why he went there?” 

Tyson shrugged “The rumors around the school said he tried to kill someone, he shouldn’t have come out but the charges were dropped and his uncle payed off some police guys and Bryan was let out on good behaviour” 

Rei only nodded once more, this was more information than he thought he would ever get. He made a mental note that he needed to start writing this information down. He was becoming a lot more complex than he originally thought, but he was so fascinated and needed to know more.

As the rest of the afternoon droned on Rei got more nervous thinking about spending a few hours with Kai. He didn’t know why but the more he thought about the fair skinned and quiet boy, the more he wanted to figure him out and get to know him. He thought over the things Tyson had told him earlier that day. 

Rei closed his locker and tossed his bag over his shoulder. Walking outside, he looked around and watched chattering kids get onto the buses lined up across the street, others were walking with friends to vehicles waiting in the parking lot. He didn’t see the blue haired boy who was supposed to be waiting for him. He wasn’t even sure what vehicle he was looking for. Rei worried that Kai had changed his mind.

“The car’s over this way.” a monotonous voice came from directly behind Rei, causing his heart to jump. He gradually exhaled a deep breath to calm himself. He turned around to look at Kai. Upon seeing him, his heart started to race more. As he looked at the taller boy, Rei spotted a sly grin that spread amusement across his face. Kai looked at Rei for a second before walking past him towards the parking lot, knowing Rei would follow him. 

Rei trailed behind Kai, his eyes grazing over the different vehicles left in the parking lot, curious to know which one they drove. No, that couldn’t be what they drove. Could it? Rei thought to himself as Kai walked past the majority of the vehicles left to one parked in the back row.   
“Dude! This is what you drive to school?” He couldn’t hide the shock in his voice. He had priced out a Landrover many times online just to see their worth. He knew he could never afford one, but now to get to ride in one would be awesome. He liked cars as much as Tyson, if not more. He had thought the other boy was exaggerating when he said they drove really nice vehicles. “Are your parents loaded or something?”His words slipped before he thought them through. 

“It’s Bryan’s. He makes good money at his job.” He replied and leaned against the vehicle. Bryan and Tala weren’t there yet. He glanced at his watch before taking out his phone and sending a message. The two stood in silence for a short eternity.

Rei looked over the car while they waited for the other two to show up. He was amazed by all the extra features that were in it. It looked brand new. “What does Bryan do to earn this kind of income? This thing is incredible! It’s the luxury edition! Dude! This is awesome. What kind of engine does it have?” Rei couldn't believe the money that went into this car as he blurted out questions to Kai, completely mesmerized by the vehicle “I don’t think I’m worthy to sit in this! What if I mark it?”

Kai shrugged as if it was nothing. He didn’t know much beyond the fact the SUV was black, vehicles had never interested him “He does odd jobs for my uncle.” He didn’t understand the golden eyed boy’s excitement but he found it oddly cute. Cute? Did I really think that? It’s not cute...it’s weird. “You’d have to ask Bryan if you want to know anything else about it.” 

As if on cue Bryan and Tala walked up to the SUV. “What took you so long?” Kai asked as Bryan pressed a button and unlocked the doors. The car beeped elegantly. Hoping Rei didn’t start asking more questions he couldn’t answer. He’d have to actually ask Bryan about the car, he should probably know a bit more than the colour.

“Had to wait for Princess here to go find Mr. Parker and get an extra assignment for bombing the Geography test Monday.” Bryan said as he and Tala got in the front seat and Kai and Rei climbed in the back. He started the car and swore as Tala punched him in the arm. The small redhead remained quiet. “Will you fuck right off.” he snarled putting the car in drive and tearing out of the parking lot. Rei felt uneasy with how rambunctious Kai's friends were.

Rei watched out the window as they drove away from the school. He had never been in the area of the city where Bryan was taking them. The whole area looked very pristine and well taken care of, a stark contrast to the neighbourhood Rei lived in. 

Bryan pulled up in front of a cute little cafe and parked the car. He looked at Tala to give orders. “Come and get the SUV when you guys are done. I work until the last call."

Tala nodded obediently. “We shouldn’t be late. Have fun at work." Tala reassured Bryan as they all piled out of the car. 

Rei was relieved that Bryan wouldn’t be staying with them. He hadn’t missed the occasional glare he got from the older boy through the rearview mirror during the drive. He was curious to know where Bryan worked. He couldn’t be old enough to work at a bar, could he? Though that’s where it sounded like. Maybe he worked at a bar and grill? He’d ask Kai while they did the assignment. He noticed Tala had stayed with them. Emily did say one of them would stick around. He looked at Kai and gave a confused look to Tala. 

“Are you just going to stand out here?” Kai asked Rei as he turned and started walking to the cafe. Rei shook his head and followed Kai, Tala stayed out to finish a cigarette he lit as soon as he got out of the car. 

“Why is Tala here?” He asked as they walked up to the counter and got in line. It was a simple cafe with large chalkboard signs behind the counter listing the menu and drink items as well as the prices and specials. The ambiance was like most other cafes Rei had been to, simple with a couch and chairs around a fireplace off to one side. A few booths set along the back wall, and small bistro style table and chairs in front of the window. 

“Bryan didn’t have time to run him home before work so he’s going to work on some school work I assume.” Kai said quickly, scanning the chalkboard menu even though he already knew what he was going to get. 

The two remained quiet as they waited their turn to order. “Do you want anything?” Kai asked as Rei looked at the menu on the wall.

Rei shook his head no. They were very overpriced drinks and Rei didn’t think he even had enough money on him to get water. What kind of cafe was this? It made Starbucks look cheap. “No I’m good." He verbalized his response.

Kai seemed irritated that Rei was being polite instead of honest about what he would want. Rolling his eyes the blue haired boy stood in front of the barista now that it was his turn. “A chai tea latte with skim milk, extra foam and cinnamon sprinkles.” He looked back at Rei again. “Do you like coffee or not?” Kai asked almost aggressively.

Rei went to talk but no words came out at Kai’s intense look. He opened his mouth a couple times trying to form words and eventually just nodded. Why was Kai being such a jerk but also so kind at the same time?

Kai took out his wallet and looked back at the barista. “I'll get two dark roast coffees and the latte.” He wasn't overly friendly, but not demanding either.

Rei was surprised. “You don’t seem like the chai tea type.” he joked, finally able to compose himself and form words again. This was going to be an interesting afternoon if he turned into a fish gasping for air everytime Kai looked at him.

Kai paid for the order and moved out of the way so the next in line could place theirs. “Coffees are for us. The latte is for Tala. He really likes them for some reason.” Kai elaborated as he watched the barista start to make the drinks. “There way to sweet for me” he added

Rei nodded. “You didn’t need to get me anything." He said and glanced back outside where Tala was talking to a couple kids Rei had seen around school. He watched as Tala counted money they must have just handed him because he pulled something out of his pocket and handed it to the boys before they walked away. Tala pocketed the money before walking inside and sitting at a table near the door. “Doesn’t seem like the latte type.” Rei muttered to himself. Rei checked to see if anyone else had noticed what had happened. They hadn't.

Kai didn’t say anything as he handed Rei his coffee and picked up the other two cups. He walked past Tala who was now seated at a small round table just inside the cafe door, and set the Latte down before continuing to a booth farther away where he could sit with his back to the wall and no one could get behind him. “Don’t assume things before you get to know someone." Kai didn't appreciate people assuming things, he preferred hard facts and evidence.

Rei sat down and took a sip of his hot coffee before getting out his notebook to start working on the assignment. From where he was sitting, he could see Tala and watched as an older man sat down across from him. For someone that apparently kept to himself, he seemed to be interacting with a lot of people that day. He zoned out and focused on the red haired boy as he got up and followed the man to what he assumed was the restroom. 

“What are you trying to figure out about us? You’ve been staring at us for the past two days at least." Kai snapped, clearly annoyed, breaking Rei from his fixation on the redhead.

Rei’s face flushed as he looked back at Kai. He'd been caught. “It’s uh nothing. You guys just stick out sometimes." He stuttered, embarrassed that Kai had known he was watching them. What was Tala up to? Probably not the best time to ask…

“We’re no different than anyone else...” Kai glared at Rei seeing how red his face had gotten. He started writing some notes down on paper. “Let’s just do this project and go home. I'm exhausted." Kai seethed. Rei seemed judgemental, but perhaps he was only being nosy. Kai didn't care to find out which.

Rei started making notes about the book, looking over the outline and making points accordingly. The two boys didn’t talk other than verifying information and answering questions for the next two hours. Rei had tried to remain subtle in the glances he had given over to where Tala was sitting across the room, closest to the door. He had met with several people during their time in the cafe, disappearing with each of them to the restroom.

“Do you not realize how rude it is to stare?" Kai pointed out that he had seen Rei stealing more glimpses at his friend as he came back with a second coffee for each of them. He set Rei’s in front of him as the boy blushed again. “Seriously, what are you so curious about him for?" Kai assumed Rei noticed Tala was different from them and that was why he couldn’t stop staring. 

Rei refused to look up from his paper, embarrassed once again. How did the boy always know where he was looking when he never looked up from his notebook. “It’s nothing really.” Rei deflected the question and picked up his drink to hide his face while sipping it. Kai concluded Rei didn't actually suspect anything about Tala's uniqueness after all. Not in the way he had imagined.

Kai rolled his eyes. “Then stop. It’s weird. If you want to know something then just ask." Kai liked to talk straight and honestly without hidden context. Any other discussions seemed like a waste of time.

Rei kept his eyes on his paper. “Fine, what is Tala doing? And what kind of stuff does your brother do to afford a hundred thousand dollar vehicle? It seems like a lot even for this part of the city.” There he had said it. He looked up from his writing wanting to gauge Kai’s response. Okay, maybe that was a little much. But, Rei wanted to know this information and what better way to get it than ask. Plus he was so mesmerized by this boy and got butterflies everytime he looked at him.  
Kai raised an eyebrow and looked at Rei, this was one of the reasons he avoided people. They could never mind their own business. But something about how bold Rei was spiked Kai’s curiosity on wanting to get to know him as well. Kai had sadly lost most of his friends thanks to Bryan, plus Tala was seeming to shun him now. Maybe Rei could be a friend. He hated to admit it, but he was getting lonely with only being around Olyvia.   
“Tala’s just making some extra money to help pay for a treatment he needs. Bryan works at a club a few blocks from here most nights and like I said, does odd jobs our uncle asks him to do.” Kai stated, glancing at Tala and back at Rei. Hoping he wasn’t giving away too much information that Bryan would get mad at him.

"Is that it?" Kai wanted to quell Rei's curiosity so they could move on uninterrupted. 

"...Why don't they ever leave you alone? I swear I've never seen you outside of class without one of them hovering you and neither has anybody else." Rei felt awkward, but he was genuinely confused about why someone like Kai wouldn't prefer his privacy. 

His hand brushed Kai's lightly as he reached for his coffee cup, and his heart felt like it had stopped. Kai didn't seem to take notice as he considered how to answer. Rei was thankful he didn't mind. Rei narrowly missed knocking Kai's mug over when he pulled away.

Kai played around with the idea of telling Rei the truth. He hadn’t missed the fact that Rei had almost knocked his cup over when their hands came in contact. What was that all about? His thoughts went back on how best to answer Rei. I'm an expensive experiment and my Uncle forces my brother to watch me and make sure I don't run off or get hurt or kidnapped again.

Kai knew better than to be open about that aspect of his life with just anyone. It could endanger people if he wasn't careful about the things he said. It had already happened once before. He would have to lie, which he normally would've preferred to avoid doing. “Bryan’s my brother and he’s just watching out for me. Toronto is a big city and you never know what could happen. As for Tala, he’s basically my best friend and we usually do assignments together and he stays at our house when his parents are out of town.” Kai hoped his answer would suffice. 

Rei wasn’t sure he believed Kai, but he also didn’t know the boy well enough to know if he was lying. He took the answers and decided for now he wasn’t going to pry. He stayed fixated on the fact that Kai was seldom seen by himself. He’d figure out why soon on his own, in some other way. He had overheard a conversation Bryan and Tala had between classes this morning and he could’ve sworn they were talking about Kenny's suicide. He knew if Kai had information on that he wouldn't get the truth. He was definitely loyal to his friends.  
“You seem pretty open for a guy who doesn’t seem to want to talk. I dig that." Rei's tone carried a teasing vibe. He wanted to lighten the situation.

Kai shrugged and gave a half smirk back before it quickly turned back to his common expressionless look. “They're not exactly secrets. You would’ve found it out sooner or later. Besides, If I tell you what you want to know, you'll waste less time not working." Kai cared a bit too much about his homework, Rei noted.

Rei nodded in lieu of a response. He couldn’t help but blush when Kai glared at him. Rei didn’t care that he was clearly annoying him. He got butterflies anytime Kai talked. He had a very faint accent that Rei couldn’t figure out, it was another question he’d ask someday. Kai's voice was soothing to listen to. He rolled his R's with a light slavic sound. He spoke with a low tone but it was firm and masculine. His hair sat perfectly seemingly all the time, and he wore form fitting clothes that had no hand in hiding his built body. He spoke honestly even if it was a tad harsh at times. And most notably the boy was attentive and observant. Kai was a good-looking and pretty smart guy. Rei was almost jealous.

Rei wasn’t gay. Why did he keep acting like this around this boy? He even had trouble forming words a few times. It wasn't like him to stutter. His mind flooded with thoughts about his project partner. It was incredibly distracting.

“Do you think you have enough information you can type up a rough draft at home?” Kai asked when Rei didn’t say anything. Rei snapped out of his daydream.

“I can edit it over the weekend.” Kai closed his notebook and started to pack his things away. 

“Our computer is busted. I can write it out of that’s fine. Or I can type it up during lunch tomorrow probably.” Rei lied, feeling embarrassed that he didn’t have a computer. They didn’t even have the internet at home. He mimicked Kai’s actions and started to pack up his own things. Rei knew Kai really wanted to leave. He was becoming restless.

“ I just need your part by tomorrow so I can finish it over the weekend. Do whatever you have to.” Kai still seemed unimpressed about sharing work with someone else despite Rei's effort to be useful.

“Why do you want this done so fast? It’s not due for another couple of weeks.” Rei didn't understand why his classmate was in a rush.

“I’m aware. I’d rather get it done so I don’t have to think about it.” Kai stood up and put on his bag. He was finished. “Do you need a ride home?” The taller boy asked with a blank expression. He sounded like he was trying to be nice, Rei thought. 

Rei stayed sitting and pulled his headphones out of his pocket. He didn't want to abuse their kindness, and Tala didn't seem to like Rei so he didn't want to intrude, but he also didn’t want Kai to leave. “That’s okay. I don’t live far from here and I have to pick my brother up first. Thanks though." Rei was grateful Kai offered to get him home, although he felt too embarrassed about where he lived and didn’t want Kai to judge him based on his cheap apartment. He could only imagine what sort of home Kai lived in.

Kai just nodded. Rei was relieved that he didn't insist like with the coffee, but also slightly disappointed. “Alright. Bye." His empty gaze lingered on Rei for a moment more as he turned to leave. He left Rei at the table and met Tala outside where the other boy was waiting for him and smoking. The two started to walk in the direction that must take them to Bryan’s work so they could pick the car up. Rei watched them drift out of sight.

Rei stayed seated at his table and watched Kai and Tala walk out of sight. He stared at the coffee cup in front of him and thought about the mysterious boy from his English class. He was almost open and sincere, but Rei knew he built so many walls up that it would be next to impossible to get close to him for real. Rei was determined. He wanted to get to know the cold, angry boy even more. Kai bought them coffee and drove him around, even offering to take him home after. Even though he seemed irritated, Kai was much nicer than he wanted people to see. The bewildered boy needed real answers about his new friend. He waited until Kai and Tala were out of sight before gathering his bag and starting in what he hoped was the right direction to the club his mom worked at.

Tala and Kai walked together to Bryan’s work. It was only a few blocks away and the weather was perfect.

“So how does it feel to have a different partner? Why didn’t you try and get out of it?” Tala asked as he took a long drag from his cigarette.

Kai didn't say anything for a moment. He was thinking about the amber eyed boy who asked way too many questions. “Not really easy to get out of something when you're singled out for being a role model for what Jones wants and wants me to show the new kid.”

“I noticed he looks at us a lot at lunch and shit. He kept looking at me too. What's his deal?”

Kai shrugged “I know. I called him out on it. Shoulda seen his face. Bright red instantly”

A flare of jealousy rose in Tala “oh yeah?” He muttered

“It was amusing. He's cute but asks to many questions for my liking”

“Like what” tala said defensively 

“How Bryan affords a Rover, what you were selling, why you came with me. Annoying shit. Easy lies” Kai’s voice trailed off, why couldn’t he stop thinking about Rei, he wanted to tell him anything he wanted to know. It had taken much effort to not blurt out things the raven haired boy had no business knowing.

Tala wasn't sure what he thought about the raven haired boy. If Bryan found out about Rei prying for information he'd take matters into his own hands. Kai was normally good at not letting things slip but there were times he wasn't in the right mindset to care. “Just be careful with what he asks.” He warned the younger boy

Kai rolled his eyes as they got to Bryan’s work “I'm not an idiot Tal. He's cute and all but not my type. Probably won't talk to him again once this project is done. He’ll have his part to me by tomorrow and that'll be it” he was done talking and before Tala could say anymore he left the redhead outside to go grab the SUV keys from Bryan.


	4. Chapter 4

It felt like forever before Rei finally found his way from the cafe to the club his mom worked at. He really should’ve asked Kai and Tala where to go before they had left, but he didn’t want to seem like he had no idea where he was. Letting out a sigh of relief at the sight of the club and the large purple neon sign that said Raven’s 

The owners of the club had everything figured out. They served lunch and dinner and were family friendly until 9pm. After that they turned into a nightclub that was quite busy and stayed that way until last call at 4am. 

Rei walked inside, it was much brighter this time of the day when they had all the lights on. There was a DJ station in the far corner on the opposite side of the kitchen. Booths were lined up in front of the kitchen with small tables scattered on the rest of the floor. During club hours most of the tables and chairs were shoved into a small room behind the DJ station so there was a huge dance floor in the middle of the room.

“Rei!” a small voice called. Rei turned towards the voice to see Kevin standing on the bench at the booth closest to the kitchen, waving to his older brother with a chicken finger in his hand. Rei gave a half wave back and walked over to his brother.

“Hey Kev." He sat down across the table from his little brother. There were crayons and a colouring book spread out on the table as well as a half-eaten order of chicken fingers and fries. “Where’s mom?” He asked as he took a couple of fries from his brothers’ dinner.

“She’s over there getting one of her tables some drinks.” He explained, pointing towards the bar that was situated between the kitchen and the DJ station before taking a bite of the chicken in his hand. Rei looked where the little boy was pointing and saw his mom laughing at something the bartender was saying as he finished pouring drinks. His eyes widened as he looked at the man who towered over his mother, grinning at something she said back as he started pouring another drink. Lavender hair was hidden mostly under the black beanie the man was wearing. 

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” He muttered while he saw his mom flirting with Bryan as he set the last drink on her tray. She picked up the tray of drinks and smiled at Bryan before sashaying towards her table. Rei kept his eyes on his mom as she handed the drinks out and took her tables order. She walked towards her children and beamed at Rei before walking past to give the order to the kitchen

When Kai had said Bryan worked at a club, he figured he was doing dishes or cooking or something. The last thing he would have thought was him being a bartender. You needed to be at least 19 to do that. Or at least that’s what he thought. He glared at the older boy mixing drinks at the bar. Maybe he was 19? He does look older than that I guess Rei thought to himself. 

“Hey Rei Rei, thanks for picking up Kevin. Did you want something to eat before you guys go home?” Sweat shined from her brow as she greeted her boys, breaking Rei from his thoughts.

Rei shook his head and looked at their mom. “Uh. No that’s okay. Hey, who’s the guy at the bar? I haven’t seen him here before.” Rei glanced back over at Bryan. He was lying to see if his mom knew Bryan's real identity.

Candace looked back over at the bar and Rei couldn’t help but notice the expression on his mother's face change as she looked at the beefy bartender. “That’s Bryan. He’s the one I was telling you about that got me the job here. He’s super sweet and funny. He usually doesn’t start until later but he’s covering a shift for Steve tonight” She laughed a little, as if she were a teenage girl fawning over a football player.

Rei looked over at Bryan again, this time catching the boy’s eye. Bryan winked at Rei as he smirked and held a finger up to his lips, daring Rei to say something to his mom about the bartender.

“He looks a little sketchy to me. You know with all the ink and piercings? Don’t you think he looks a little young to be working in a place like this?” Rei questioned, even though Bryan seemed completely at home and definitely looked the part of someone who would work in a place like this. Not someone who was still in high school. The taller teen wore a black fitted t-shirt with the club logo on the front and black jeans. He had many visible tattoos covering his arms as well as his eyebrow and nose pierced. 

Shaking her head at her son, Candace started to help Kevin clean up his things so Rei could take him home. “He’s 23 so he isn’t that young. He does well for himself and enjoys his job." Candace thought she could calm Rei's concerns if she made a case for Bryan. “I think you’d like him, he’s about as sarcastic and witty as you are.”

Rei couldn't believe any of what he was hearing or seeing. Out of any place to work in the city, Bryan had to be at the one place his mom worked. Rei didn’t trust this guy at all. He doubted he needed the money. If the vehicle Bryan drove gave any indication of the money he had, he didn’t even need to work at a scuzzy bar. “Sure mom… just be careful. I kind of like this school and don’t want to move in a couple months when things don’t work.” Rei's words clearly indicated that he didn't see a lasting bond between the two.

“Sweetie, I barely know him. Don’t go jumping to conclusions. We just work together. .” She ended the conversation with that, and finished packing Kevin’s things. “I have to get back to work, you two head home and make sure Kevin takes a bath before bed okay? I’ll be home late tonight again.” Candace gave both her boys a kiss on the cheek before going to pick up the order that was just being set in the window from the Kitchen.

Rei sighed and got up from the table. “C’mon Kev, let’s go. It’s going to get dark soon anyways.” The little boy hopped out of his seat as Rei took the two backpacks and they headed out the door into the brisk air outside.

“Do you not like Bryan?” Kevin asked as he walked beside his brother down the sidewalk towards their home. “He’s really cool and makes mom laugh a lot. I want to show him my monkeys." Kevin got along with everyone and was still young enough to assume everyone was good.

“I don’t know him. He just doesn’t look like a good guy. Mom is bad at picking friends." Rei tried to explain in a way his kid brother might be able to understand.

“I like him. He made me an ice cream sundae when mom picked me up. It even had gummy worms on it!” Kevin focused on making sure he didn’t step on any cracks in the sidewalk as he bounced from foot to foot. 

The rest of the walk was quiet as Rei thought about Bryan. Who was he lying to? You couldn’t be twenty-three and be in high school, let alone the twelfth grade. How was he getting away with this, and why would he even want to be in high school if he was old enough to be far away from the place most teenagers hated? He thought back to what his friends said about Kai not being alone again. Was that why Bryan acted like he was younger to hang around the school? Had Bryan ever actually attended any classes? What was it about Kai then that he needed Bryan or Tala around him?

When the boys got home, Rei got Kevin a bath ready with bubbles and let him bring in a few of his favorite toys. While his brother played in the tub Rei sat on the floor outside the bathroom so he could keep an eye on the young boy. Rei worked on homework, trying to keep his mind off the boys that seemed to nearly constantly invade his thoughts. 

It had been a few hours since Rei and Kevin had gotten home. After his little brother had finished bathing, the two watched a movie together before Rei tucked Kevin into bed and had a shower of his own. 

Once Rei made sure Kevin was asleep he went back out to the living room. He turned on a movie and continued to work on an assignment for his Chemistry class. He wanted to make sure he stayed ahead and didn’t get behind with all these projects his teachers kept piling on. He had barely been at school a week and already had three assignments due the following week. He was getting tired but he wanted to stay awake until Candace got home. He hated when she worked late and then had to walk home alone.

“Rei, sweetie wake up.” a calm voice said as Rei’s shoulder was gently shaken. Rei opened his eyes slowly. What time was it? He hadn’t realized he had fallen asleep. He looked up at Candace's loving gaze.

“Hey, what time is it?” he yawned groggily as he stretched his arms above his head. He let out an even louder yawn and shortly afterward heard clattering from the kitchen. “Who’s here?” He questioned skeptically, preparing to stand when he felt attentive enough to do so.

Candace bit her lip and looked at her son, searching for the best way to relay the news.  
“Bryan walked me home. Be nice.” she said while giving her son a threatening glare. She knew how Rei could be and wished for once her son would give one of her friends a chance before assuming they weren’t good enough for her.

Rei finally stood up and looked down at his mom. “And he needed to come in?” He inquired while turning his attention toward the kitchen. 

Candace sighed, her son could be hard headed at times, to the point of being disrespectful. “I’m going to check on your brother. Go introduce yourself if you want. He’s not a bad guy, I promise” she suggested and left her son in the living room to check on her youngest. 

Rei balled his fists. When Candace walked down the hallway, Rei walked into the kitchen. Bryan was taking a couple drinks out of the fridge. Rei glared at him and walked over, leaning on the counter beside him. Making himself feel right at home, of course.

“Weren’t you running laps in a gym class today.” Rei jabbed Bryan to see if he would break character.

Bryan smirked and stood tall, holding two beers in his hand. He looked at Rei as his face formed a confused expression. “You like staring at guys half naked, or somethin'?” he said with a wink. Bryan's accent was slavic and subtle much like Kai's. Was it Russian or something like that?

Rei moved so he wasn’t leaning against the counter anymore. He didn’t realize Bryan was about a whole half foot taller than him, not to mention the muscle tone he had when he wasn’t wearing a jacket. “What the hell are you doing here man?” Rei demanded to know what Bryan wanted with him and his family.

“Probably your mom when you guys get to bed. So why don't you go back to bed there kiddo?" Bryan ignored Rei's pestering and shut him down.

Rei saw red at Bryan’s comment. Fuck this guy. His mind burned as his hand formed a fist. He didn’t think before he reacted and threw his whole body into it, wailing Bryan in the jaw. He cursed loudly as pain shot through his wrist. Shit.

Bryan stumbled back and tripped over the chair right behind him and falling back, the chair breaking as he fell onto it making a loud cracking noise. Before he had a chance to recover, Rei was on top of him throwing punches which Bryan managed to block with his arms as he held them against his face. “What the fuck” Bryan swore as he finally recovered enough to get Rei off him.

“Rei!” came a shriek as Candace came running into the room as she heard the crash. “Get off him, what are you doing!”

Bryan managed to get into a sitting position as Rei wound to swing at him again “Fuck you!” The young dark haired teen shouted as he swung to punch Bryan, this time his muscular opponent caught his hand with ease. All expressions of amusement were gone from Bryan’s face as he looked down at Rei, his grip tightening on Rei’s closed fist. Fear washed over Rei at the look on the older boy’s face. He tried to pull his hand back but it wouldn’t budge. 

The stronger man pulled Rei close to him. “Hit me again and I will break every bone in your hand and make it look like an accident.” He seethed into Rei’s ear so Candace couldn’t hear, letting his hand go quickly before rolling onto his feet to stand back up. 

Candace saw the bruise forming along Bryan’s jawline already as he stood up “What the hell happened?” She exclaimed as she hurried to the fridge and pulled out an ice pack from the freezer. “Why did you hit him Rei?!” Candace was livid, glaring daggers at her son.

Rei still only saw red as his anger still overtook him. He glared at Candace and the other man as he held the ice pack to his face. He looked at the ground as he held his pounding wrist. It hurt and he wondered if he broke something when he hit Bryan's brick solid face. “He started it.” he muttered childishly. He hadn't thought of anything better to say, his pain was overwhelming his head.

Candace rolled her eyes as offered Bryan the ice pack to put on his bruise. Bryan took it and shrugged nonchalantly. “Don’t worry about it Candy, he’s just a kid. I get it, I wasn’t a fan of my mom when she’d bring home guys from the bar late at night."Rei wondered what kind of game Bryan was playing. He wasn't a good guy, why was he faking it so hard.

Rei’s eyes narrowed as he scowled at Bryan, who was acting innocent. “Rei, you’re grounded and you owe Bryan an apology.” Candace said turning back to her son. He was instantly embarrassed that his mom wouldn't take his side. He felt betrayed.

Rei sighed, he felt defeated and his wrist started to swell. “Whatever, he deserved it. I’ll tell Kevin to start packing his shit. This asshole is just going to hurt you like everyone else.” Rei whined and pushed past Candace to storm off to his room. He badly wanted to slam his bedroom door but he couldn’t risk being even more noisy and waking Kevin up. 

Candace sulked as she watched her son leave. Bryan would never see her again after that, she was sure of it. “I’m so sorry about him. He’s really a sweet boy. He just gets so mad sometimes I don’t think he knows what to do.” The worried mother tried to explain to her new friend that her son wasn't all bad once he warmed up to new people.

Bryan gave Candace a sweet smile and went to put the ice pack away. “It’s really okay. Kid just needs some sleep. Still want to watch that movie you promised me?” he asked, picking up the two frosty beers from the counter. 

Candace nodded “if you still want to, I'd like that.” She doubted Bryan would still like her after what had happened.

Bryan shrugged and leaned down, giving Candace a light kiss on her head. She rejoiced at the sensation of affection she had longed for, for what felt like years.

“I'd like to stay if you want me to.” Bryan seemed sincere.

“I would really like that." Candace led her new date back to the small living room. Rei has made up the pull out couch into Candace’s bed before he had started his homework earlier that night.  
“sorry it's so open. I let the boys have the bedroom." She felt insecure about her pathetic bed.

Bryan smiles and shrugged off her concerns as best he could. “You don't need to apologize to me.” Bryan took her hand and kissed it. “I’ve laid on worse things than a pullout couch.”

The two got comfortable on the pull out and Candace curled up against Bryan, he put his arm around her. “Thank you again for tonight.”

Bryan kisses the top of Candace’s head “You held your own, Kane’s just a dumbass.”

Earlier that night one of the regular bar patrons had come in. He was quite drunk before he had even arrived at Raven’s. Kane was a little taller than average height and usually hung out at the bar until last call, drinking until he could barely walk. On many occasions Bryan or one of the other bar tenders had cut him off early due to being to drunk. 

That night was like any other and Kane was hitting on the servers every chance he got. This time a little more persistent with Candace than normal 

“C’mon Candy, just come with me to the back for a quick one. You won’t regret it babe” The drunk said as he held onto Candace’s wrist. He had felt her up a few times that night and Candace had told brushed it off the first couple times before becoming more agitated and being more firm with him keeping his hands to himself 

“As great as that sounds Kane, I think I’ll once again decline your offer” She said politely, “Why don’t I call you a cab and we get you home. I think your done for the night” 

“Oh don’t be like that” Kane said again, this time standing up, stumbling into Candace, causing her to trip backwards and almost falling “I see how you look at me, no one has to know, not even your little kids” 

Candace tried to push Kane back “I said no, and I mean no. You need to leave or I’ll have you removed” She said firmly once again pushing Kane back 

“Fuck you, you little bitch” The man’s mood changing instantly as he was rejected once again. He gripped onto Candace’s wrist tightly causing the petite woman to wince 

“Let go of me, your hurting me” Candace tried, this time Kane was pulled away from her forcefully and thrown to ground 

“You heard her man, she said no, repeatedly. Now get the fuck out of here before I throw you ouf of here” Bryan said darkly as he stood beside Candace. He had been watching the encounter from the bar, knowing Candace could hold her own. The petite woman was beautiful and many of the drunks thought so as well and tried to get her to come home with them. She shut every one of them down very nicely but sometimes, like tonight, they wouldn’t take no for an answer. 

Candace looked up at Bryan and gave him a small kiss back. “Did you want to stay over?” Loneliness and longing shrouded her common sense and her desire for the man coerced her to be bold.

Bryan looked at the television and remained silent for a few moments before answering.  
“Yeah, I can take the boys to school in the morning too. My brother Kai goes to school with Rei” He really wanted to make a good impression. Candace was unlike any woman he had ever met.

Candace's lips curled into a satisfied smile as she rested her head back on Bryan's firm chest. “Thank you, they'll appreciate that.” Candace adored the lavender haired man already.

Bryan laid in bed watching the rhythmic rise and fall of Candace’s chest as she slept curled into him. She had fallen asleep early and Bryan finished watching the movie. He looked down at the petite woman laying against him. He wanted to stay the night but he had errands to run before morning. He needed to get a car if he was going to drive the kids to school.

Bryan untangled himself from Candace and when he knew she was sound asleep again he stealthily climbed out of the bed and headed for the door. Bryan scribbled a note saying he had gone for a run and would be back by 7 A.M with breakfast. Bryan set the note on Candace's phone before picking up his boots and ducking through the door, closing it quietly behind him, lifting the handle to reduce the noise of the door engaging.

He started the long walk to his house. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and dialed a number before holding the phone to his ear. “Daryl? Need you to pick me up. Corner of Alice and King.” He shoved his phone back in his pocket and took out a small vial he had. He held it to his nose and sniffed the white substance quickly, shoving the vial back in his pocket and continuing his walk to meet Steve. He brushed the bottom of his nose with his thumb as he felt the effects of the drugs pump through his veins.

Rei’s alarm went off the next morning. He groaned loudly as he rolled away from the annoying screech coming from his phone. When he couldn’t get back to sleep he sighed and finally shut the alarm off and stared at the ceiling. He tried rotating his wrist and winced at the pain, it felt sprained. Why does my wrist hurt? He thought as he sat up in bed and yawned. Kevin’s bed was already empty, the boy got up at the crack of dawn every morning and thankfully was silent so Rei never heard him get up or leave. 

Rei got out of bed and dressed for the day. He picked up his bag and walked across the hall to do his hair. He raked through it, thankfully he had let it dry before he had fallen asleep last night. Once done in the bathroom Rei started down the hall. He could hear the usual chatter from Candace and Kevin, this time he heard a third voice. Who else was here? He walked into the kitchen and was surprised to see Bryan there. What was he doing there. Rei tried to think about the night before but most of it was a blur, the last thing he remembered was Candace telling him that Bryan had walked her home that night, why couldn’t he remember anything past that. He rounded the corner to the kitchen to see Bryan leaning against the counter as Kevin told him a very animated story. 

Candace smiled as her son walked into the room. “Good morning sweetie. Bryan brought us breakfast.” She said and held out a plate with a croissant breakfast sandwich on it. “Here’s yours.” She held out a coffee for him.

Rei looked at the food and drink and shook his head. “I’m fine. I’m going to school.” He muttered. He glared at Bryan curious when he saw the dark bruise on the lavender haired boy’s jawline. It was also the first time Rei realized how many piercings Bryan had. He had two in his left eyebrow and the bottom of his earlobes stretched with more earrings in both sides. He also noticed how well built and muscular Bryan was. He may be lean but there wasn’t an ounce of body fat on him. He wore a white muscle shirt and dark jeans with the same combat boots he always wore. A T-shirt draped over his shoulder that he hadn’t put on. Rei noticed his upper right arm was bandaged. He was going to ask about that later, it made sense now why he reacted so angry when Tala punched him in the arm yesterday. Obviously the redhead had hit a tender spot. 

“Rei don’t be rude. Sit down and eat your breakfast and thank Bryan for it. You're not wasting food." Candace snapped at her son. Rei froze. He reluctantly sat down and Candace set the food in front of him. He hated when his mom was stern with him but he kept his mouth shut and didn’t talk back. “Now what do you say?” His mom talked to him as if he was as small as Kevin.  
.  
“Thank you." he thanked Bryan mockingly and took a tiny bite out of the sandwich. It tasted amazing and he wondered where Bryan had picked these up. He chewed more. They definitely weren’t from a chain restaurant. Rei's stomach involuntarily grumbled with excitement.

Candace sat down beside her son and sipped her own coffee. “Please don’t be upset about this honey. He really is a nice guy. He even offered to take you and Kevin to school today.”

Rei shook his head and glanced behind him, Bryan was now sitting on the floor with Kevin while the boy showed pictures of monkeys from his favourite book. He had to give Bryan credit, he was being surprisingly patient with the seven year old. Any other guy Candace would bring home just brushed off the kid. “I appreciate breakfast but I'd rather walk.”

“You’ll let Bryan take you to school and stop acting petty right now.” She turned around and smiled down at Kevin and Bryan. “Hey Kevin, time to get your coat and shoes. Bryan’s going to take you to school okay?”

Kevin hopped with glee. “Really? Thanks Bryan!” the little boy got up quickly and ran to his room to get his jacket. Candace followed the boy to help him get ready. 

Bryan stood up and picked his drink up off the counter, taking a sip as he leaned against the counter. “How’s the breakfast Rei?” 

Rei finished the sandwich and shrugged. He loved it. “It was alright,” he admitted. “You going to class today?” Rei teased, while bringing his plate to the sink.

Bryan sipped his coffee carefully. “Why do you need me to walk you there?” He shot back. 

Rei was about to make another comment when Candace and Kevin came back into the room. “I’m ready to go!” Kevin exclaimed as he ran past Bryan and Rei to put his shoes on. 

“Then I guess we better get going kids." Bryan said. Candace walked over and stood on her tiptoes while Bryan leaned down to peck her. Rei could feel his skin crawl watching his bully from school kiss his mom.

“Thank you again for taking the boys to school and for bringing them breakfast, you really didn’t need to do that." Candace wasn't used to being taken care of.

Bryan smirked. “It’s not a problem, the schools are on my way home anyways.” He could feel Rei glaring daggers in his back as he kissed Candace again, this time lingering and drawing the kiss out to make the dark haired boy even more angry. He pulled the T-shirt over his head and grabbed his jacket off the back of a chair “I’ll see you at work tonight.” Bryan almost sang as he waltzed out the door. 

“Rei sweetie, can I talk to you for a second?” Candace asked as Kevin hurried out the door after Bryan.

“Yeah?” the older boy answered as he took another sip from his coffee, it tasted like heaven. He needed to make it last 

“Are you taking your medication?” She asked, holding her own coffee cup between her two hands, taking a small sip as she looked at her son concerned “You really weren’t yourself last night. Do you remember what happened?”

Rei sighed, he wondered if this was going to come up. His wrist still really hurt and he wondered if his wrist and the bruise on Bryan’s face were connected. “I promise mom, I'm taking my medicine. I don't know what happened last night. I remember you telling me Bryan was here but that's it” he looked at the ground, embarrassed that he couldn't remember “I'm sorry mom”

Candace sighed and hugged her son, she was much shorter than him “it's okay sweetie, maybe we need to get something changed up. You have drank any alcohol or any drugs right? You know how that affects your meds”

“No mom. I haven't done anything. I promise. It won't happen again. I'll be fine. It was just a slip up I swear” he hugged Candace back “but I gotta go. There waiting for me” he released his mom and picked up his bag, hurrying outside before Candace could question him anymore. 

“Wait until you see Bryan’s car Rei! It’s so cool!” Kevin cried as he ran back in from outside almost running into Rei in the doorway. How did Bryan even have a vehicle again if he gave Tala and Kai the SUV yesterday and Candace had said the two walked home the night before?

Rei stopped in his tracks as he heard the roar of the engine as Bryan started the car, waiting for the kids to get in It settled into a gentle purr as Rei stared at the vibrant red Camaro ZL1 sitting in his driveway. He thought the land rover was a nice-looking vehicle, it had nothing on this beauty in front of him. “Fuck…” was all he could whisper as he couldn’t take his eyes off his dream car. “Is this actually yours?” He said with a bored tone, trying not to sound impressed as he walked up to the passenger side. He opened the door so Kevin could get in the back seat. “Careful don't let your shoes get on the seat” he warned his brother as the little boy climbed in the back.

Bryan took his place behind the wheel and waited for the two boys to buckle up. “Of course it is.” he smirked as he tore out of the driveway and sped down the road, changing gears effortlessly as the car glided down the street. It took no time to get Kevin to school where they said bye to the young boy as he headed inside to tell his friends all about the car he had just gotten to ride in. Bryan waited until Kevin was inside before pulling out of the student drop off and getting back onto the main road. The remainder of the drive was serene as Bryan pulled into the school parking lot and parked at the far corner, away from any other vehicle. 

“Can I ask you a question?” Rei finally said, breaking the silence as Bryan shut the car off.

Bryan leaned back in his seat. “Depends on what it is?” He was annoyed that Rei was so curious

“Do you actually like, like my mom?” He asked and looked out the window, more students started to arrive. He watched a couple guys stare at Bryan’s car as the drove by, almost hitting a student. 

“No I just like going to dinghy apartments. Makes me feel better about where I live." He replied sarcastically. "Yes I like Candace, enough to take care of her and deal with you. That a good enough answer?” Bryan side eyed Rei as he answered.

Rei shook his head. “You barely know her. You’re too nice to her and you act like you like Kevin."

“You barely know my brother and you’ve got the hots for him.” Bryan chuckled as he switched the subject. He knew Rei would get flustered.

Rei blushed and looked out the passenger window toward the school “I- I, no I don’t. Fuck you." Rei stammered.

Bryan laughed and pulled a cigarette pack out of his pocket. He pulled a joint out from inside and lit it.   
“Okay so we’re going to start lying now. I can do that."

Rei sighed and shook his head. “I’m not gay, that's all.” he stated. This conversation wasn't supposed to be about him. How did the green eyed boy change the topic of him so easily?

“Why do you still go to highschool if you're 23? Is it so you can keep an eye on Kai?” Rei's tone flipped to that of confidence. He was sure Bryan was hovering Kai for a bad reason.

Bryan took a hit off the joint and rolled his shoulders, exhaling gradually.

“Well we’re still not telling the truth. So yeah I like high school and enjoy being around here. I enjoy Kai and Tala’s company so much I just can’t get away from them, y'know.” The sarcasm wrapped his voice as he exhaled the smoke. 

“You know my mom hates people who are junkies, right?” Rei stated as he watched Bryan take another hit.

Bryan seemed unphased, the last bell rang and the parking lot and courtyard were empty now. “It's medicinal. Keeps the pain away. Plus weed doesn't classify you as a junkie”

Rei rolled his eyes. “What if I did tell her? What other stuff do you do?" Rei was sure this guy did meth or something. He seemed twitchy at times. Or had he imagined that?

The older boy’s expression darkened, his eyes narrowed as he glared at Rei. “Is that something you really want to figure out? I saw how scared you looked when I caught your weak attempt at punching me. You’re lucky I didn’t hit you back.” His face changed back to the expressionless, bored look he always wore right away. “Now I think we should get inside before you are too late and need to call mommy for a late note."

Rei only nodded as he got out of the car. “I still have this project with Kai…how am I supposed to get it done now that you made us late. I needed that time on the computer to type it out.” Rei was concerned about how Kai would react. He didn’t want to blow his first project with Kai, plus he told him he’d have his part today

Bryan scoffed and opened his backpack as he locked the car. He pulled out an Ipad and offered it to Rei. “There’s no password on it. I’ll get another one.” He said, setting it on the roof of the car when Rei just stared at it, shocked. Why would Bryan offer to hell him? Was it because of Kai? “Or don’t. Either way I don’t need it.”

Rei watched Bryan turn and start to walk away. He grabbed the tablet and quickly went to catch up to the older boy. “Will you answer one more question?” He asked, falling in step beside Bryan.

Bryan glanced over at Rei, at least he was late enough that no one would see him talking to the dark-haired boy “I guess.” He sighed getting annoyed.

“How long has this "thing" been going on with my mom? I don’t want to see her hurt, so if you're just planning on screwing her and dumping her can you just end it now? Or be honest with her about whatever it is you actually want?” Rei hoped Bryan was reasonable.

Bryan didn’t say anything as they got closer to the school. He wasn’t sure what to say. “Does it really matter? I don’t plan on fucking her and dumping her.” He thought back to the first day he met Candace.

Bryan still remembered that day. It had been almost three weeks now since Candace had stepped into the bar, her dark hair pulled back into a high ponytail. He could still picture exactly what she was wearing; a light pink tank top with a dark purple plaid jacket and a fitted pair of dark jeans that hugged her figure perfectly.

Bryan had been cleaning the bar and getting it ready for the night crowd that would start showing up after dinner. Candace had walked up to him while he was cutting lemons. He picked up more day shifts during the summer months.

“Excuse me?” her angelic voice radiated brightness. “I was wondering who I could speak to about getting a job? I saw the help wanted sign in the window.” She looks at Bryan, her golden eyes rimmed with a thin line of black eyeliner, the rest of her makeup subtle but adding to her perfect appearance.

Bryan couldn’t help but stare at her. “I. uhm when can you start?” He asked, mentally cursing himself for stuttering. He never did that and was always calm and collected. His heart raced as the petite woman smiled at him.

“I’d like to start as soon as I can, I just moved here with my boys and could really use a job.”

“Yeah, uh. That’s fine. Come back tomorrow around 3 and we’ll get you started on some training.” His heart skipped a beat as her smiled widened.

“Oh thank you so much! I’m Candace." she introduced herself and held out her hand for him to shake it.

Bryan hoped his hands weren’t as sweaty as the rest of him felt. This was stupid and he hated how he was feeling but she was stunning. "Uh, make sure you wear a black shirt tomorrow, plain if you can.” Bryan forced out whatever he thought he should say. Why was he acting like this? He never got flustered, but then again, no one this attractive ever came in the club.

Candace smiled again. It was vibrant and beautiful. “Thank you. I’ll be back tomorrow afternoon.” with that Candace left the bar. He watched her leave and kept his eyes on the closed door for a while longer. Now he just had to tell his boss that he hired a new server without even consulting with the manager of the establishment. Not like the owners would care, he got away with a lot of things he shouldn’t. Money was a great influencer and the owners were greedy.

“How can you possibly like someone you don’t even know!” Rei countered, breaking Bryan from his trance. He raised an eyebrow and looked down at Rei.

“You’re joking right? I see how you look at Kai. And you know nothing other than his name. Yet you constantly ask about him and want to know more about him.” He smirked as Rei’s face flushed to a comical shade of red. “That’s what I thought. Yeah I know you’ve been questioning Kai’s old friends about him” Bryan was amused this kid was crushing on his little brother. It would be fun messing with him.

“I-I don’t like Kai like that. I’m straight!” Rei garbled his words, avoiding looking at Bryan all together. He started to doubt himself.

“You keep telling yourself that. Let me know how it works out for you kid.” Bryan opened the door to the school, not waiting for Rei who was now frozen where he stood at the bottom of the steps. He slipped out the other side of the school, through the front door and made his way out where Rei wouldn't see him. He’s come back before his second class. Tala always got annoyed if he missed class for no reason, even though he didn’t even need to be there. Right now he just wanted a nap and that was exactly what he planned on doing.

Rei watched the door close in front of him as Bryan disappeared from sight. There was no way he could go to class and face Kai after that. Rei turned away from the school and walked to the courtyard where the picnic tables were scattered. He chose the one his friends usually picked for lunch. He pulled out the tablet Bryan had given him. He might as well start typing up his part of the project to give to Kai.

He sat at his table and typed away, getting lost in the assignment and not paying attention to the time at all. With his head phones in he didn’t hear the bell between classes and missed his biology class. It wasn’t until Tyson plopped down on the bench beside Rei and nearly causing the boy to have a heart attack, did he realize what time it was.

“Hey you skipped out on bio today.” Tyson stated as he took a bite of the apple in his hand. Rei pulled out his headphones, trying to slow his beating heart.

“Damn Tyson you scared me.” He closed the tablet and looked around. Students filed out of the school as they gathered around with friends to enjoy the nice weather while on lunch. “I uh wanted to get an assignment done that I was behind on since I started so late in the year” he lied as Max and Emily joined the two at the table 

“Well you didn’t miss much. Got an assignment due next Friday.” Tyson pulled a bunched up sheet of paper from his bag. “I grabbed you a copy.” He handed the wrinkled homework to Rei. 

“Thanks.” Rei took the crumpled paper and glanced over it to see what kind of assignment he had. Seemed easy enough.

“Man did you guys see Bryan’s face!” Eddie exclaimed as he sat down with the group “Someone got him good, right on the side of his face!” Eddie was actually amazed.

Tyson looked over smirking. “Man I’d like to know who managed to land a hit on Bryan and if they lived to tell about it." Rei fought the urge to spill the beans.

Rei looked over at the tree where Bryan and the others usually hung out. He knew Bryan’s face would get worse before it got better. He couldn’t exactly tell his friends that it was him who punched the older boy. Then he’d have to explain that Bryan was at his place and most likely screwing his mom.

He watched Kai and the green haired girl sitting under the tree. She was curled up under Kai’s arm as she showed him something on her phone. Jealousy burned through Rei as he quickly looked away. Maybe he did like Kai a little bit. “So is that Olyvia?” Rei interrogated his friends on what they know about Kai even more.

Max glanced back to where Rei was looking. He seemed annoyed. “Yeah, she’s Kai’s girlfriend. They’ve had this on and off thing since the 9th grade. They're quite cute together and all Liv talks about is how the two of them will be prom King and Queen for their senior year.” 

Rei only nodded. Of course, Kai was probably straight, he had to have his first boy crush on a straight kid. “I see” was all Rei managed to say. 

“Man you know those two will never work. More often than not he looks bored or annoyed with her.” Tyson said laughing. “It’s quite amusing listening to her go on about him in class about how perfect he is. I’m sure she only likes him because he’s loaded.”

“Hey that’s not really nice to assume. Maybe he does feel the same for her. He’s really hard to read.” Max defended. “Plus if you ever listened to them talk about things he likes he gets really animated and does enjoy the conversation.”

“Dude, the guy has said five sentences since I met him. I doubt he talks any more than that to her.” Eddy said before taking a messy bite of his sandwich.

Max shook his head to protest. “That’s not true. When he was friends with Tyson and I he talked a lot. He was a lot of fun to be around.” Max still defended Kai as if they stayed friends all this time. “Just as we got older, he did get quieter, especially after he got pulled from school for a while.”

“Right you said you guys used to all hang out together right? And then he just all of a sudden didn't want to be your friend?” Rei asked, hoping for more information.

‘That’s not exactly it. We used to hang out a lot like I said. When we were kids Tyson’s brother Hiro and Bryan used to take Kai, Tyson, Kenny and I all over the place. Once Tala moved in with them he hung out with us sometimes too. But he usually prefered the company of Bryan and Hiro. I think he was going through some things, I don’t really know much about Tala from before he moved here.” Max explained, trying to keep the conversation light. He didn’t like the topic always going to Kai and Rei’s infatuation reminded him of how Kenny started acting. If Rei wasn’t careful, he’d get himself in trouble.

“So then what happened that all of a sudden he’s ignoring you? Sounds like you were all great friends?” Rei pressed, wanting to know more. 

Max took a sip of his juice box. “It is what it is, friends grow apart. If he wanted to tell us what happened he would have. Clearly he didn’t think the same way about our friendship as we did.” The blonde boy seemed more hurt by losing Kai than he led on. Though he knew things were better this way now.

So why does he keep Tala so close? It didn’t seem like Tala and Kai were as close as the brothers were. Rei felt a wave of jealousy flow through him and he wasn’t sure why. “So if he wasn’t always like this. What happened that changed everything? Is it Bryan? Is he the reason Kai doesn’t hang out with you anymore?”

Max looked at Rei and raised his eyebrow. “Of course not. He hung out with us a lot too We all used to play video games and he’d come to the mall with us since Kai’s uncle didn’t like the idea of Kai and us going alone.” Max smirked. “Also he used to get his friends to buy us alcohol too. We got into so much trouble back then." He reminisced for a brief time.

Rei wondered how Bryan got away with pretending to only be a year older than Kai. If this has been going on for a while. There was no way Bryan could have pulled off only being 14 when he was already 20. “Sounds like you guys got along great.” Rei finally said. He was about to ask another question when a girl Rei hadn’t seen before slammed a book on the table and wedged herself between Tyson and Rei

“Guys the Homecoming Dance is like 3 weeks away!! How can you just be sitting out here enjoying yourselves when there's so much to be done?” The girl exclaimed. She had shoulder length brown hair, half of which was pulled into a high ponytail. She was wearing a khaki jean skirt and a white blouse with a light pink jacket overtop. Rei has no idea who she was.

Tyson put his arm around the girl and kissed her cheek. “C’mon Hilary. We get 40 minutes a day where we don't have to think about anything. Take a break and relax a little.” 

Hilary let out a long sigh and kissed her boyfriend back “Don’t tell me to relax Tyson. How are we getting there? Who's going to be the Candy King and Queen? Are we going to do ballots to decide? What about a DJ we haven’t found one yet!” She rambled off the questions only stopping when Tyson popped a grape in her mouth. She rolled her eyes and smiled

“We already know Max will drive us. Ballots to determine the King and Queen and I talked to Rick yesterday he said he would DJ for us” Tyson answered all of the questions and smirked, proud of himself for helping out. Rei zoned out of the conversation. This was the first he had heard of the dance and he wasn’t going to go. 

“So Rei, do you want to come to Tyson’s and get ready with us?” Max asked, breaking Rei from his thoughts. “You can come over after school and we’ll pick the girls up on the way”

Rei shook his head “I think I’m good. I don’t have anything to wear and I really don’t feel like being a fifth wheel” A part of him wanted to go but he knew he wouldn’t have the right attire for the occasion. 

Tyson shrugged “You're about the same height as my brother. You can wear one of his suits. He’s got great taste and too many clothes. There’ll be something”

Max grinned “It’ll be a lot of fun. And it won’t be awkward for you. We’re not all mushy and couply.” 

Rei sighed and nodded “Okay. I’ll ask my mom tonight” He said, thinking he would just tell the boys his mom said he couldn’t go. 

Tyson grinned “Atta boy! Dude it’ll be great. This school has the cashflow to put on a damn good time. Have a few pre drinks before and it’ll be great” The bell rang as Rei’s friends started to talk about what everyone was going to wear and how they would all match. They got up, continuing the conversation as they walked inside.


	5. Chapter 5

"So guys? Have you thought anymore about the Homecoming dance? Hilary said it's going to be a CandyLand theme. There's going to be a Candy King and Queen. We just need to get matching outfits. What do you think, Kai?" Olyvia asked, leaning against the blue haired boy who seemed more interested in a video playing on his phone than the girl beside him.

"You mean cramming ourselves with the whole school in the gym for a night? Sounds like the best night ever Liv" Sarcasm dripping from the boy's voice. He looked down at the green haired girl and gave a small grin and kissed the top of her head to show he was only joking. "We can go one day after school next week. My uncle is home this weekend and I know he wants Bryan and I to go camping while the weather is still nice"

Olyvia curled back into Kai and kept her head resting against him. There were days like this that she wished he would actually be her boyfriend. She didn't mind what they had and he was one of her best friends. She knew he had a lot of problems at home with his uncle and would never talk about them. It was the reason she never pushed when he gave excuses as to why he couldn't do things. "Okay, that'll work."

Olyvia ran her hand through her hair, leaned back and looked up at the red-head who barely said a word to her ever. Liv didn't know what she had ever done to Tala but the boy hated her for no reason. "What about you Tala? Have you thought of who you're going to bring?" she tried to be polite, knowing if Kai was going then his friend would be accompanying them.

Tala took a long drag from his cigarette, exhaling the smoke slowly. Why did the girl always try to talk to him? He had no intention of ever being her friend and only tolerated her for Kai's sake. "I hadn't really thought about it. Dances aren't my thing" he answered coldly.

"Awe c'mon Tal. It'll be fun. Who doesn't like being a sardine and have sweaty bodies bump into you all night?" Kai said with a grin, trying to suppress a laugh that was building. He was in a great mood today thanks to the pills he had taken earlier that morning. He had gotten a headache that morning and took a variation of pills that he had stolen from his uncle hoping one of them would cure the pain throbbing behind his eyes. Something had worked a little too well, he just hoped Bryan wouldn't catch on to his overly cheerful and talkative mood.

Tala raised an eyebrow while looking down at the blue haired boy who was oblivious to his gaze. He glanced at Bryan who's expression mirrored Tala's, both of the curious as to why the one who was the most quiet of the group seemed to be the most animated that day. "I don't know Kai, it really doesn't sound like fun. So Bryan, you want to tell us what happened to your face?" Tala asked, changing the subject from the dance and him to something else.

Bryan rolled his eyes, stealing a glare over to Rei and his friends while they enjoyed their lunch. They looked to be having a great time and little Rei Rei seemed to be fitting right in. "I already told you, I got in a fight at work."

"You've been in many fights since I've known you and I've never seen you with a bruise like that. I think your losing your touch" Tala grinned, ducking out of the way when Bryan went to hit him. He enjoyed the brotherly relationship the two of them had. It made Tala feel like he actually had a family.

"Yeah, well the guy got a lucky shot in, he's in worse shape than me. Can we drop this?" Bryan hated when the conversation fell on him. It made him uneasy and he didn't want the boys to know that Rei of all people had been the one to land the punch. If the kid actually knew how to punch he could've dislocated or even broke Bryan's jaw.

"Awe, does the big bad Bryan not like when we pick on him" Kai said, using a childish voice to mock the older boy, knowing he'd be the only one who could get away with it.

Bryan rolled his eyes again as his phone vibrated. He pulled it out, ignoring Kai's comment as he replied to the text. Boris was home early and wanted the boys home right after school. He'd have to get his shift covered at the bar that night, thankfully he had the weekend off and didn't have to get those shifts covered. "So back to this dance, Liv?" Bryan said getting the conversation back off of him. "Got any friends who you can introduce to Tala?"

Olyvia stood up and leaned against the tree beside Tala "I was talking to Miriam after school yesterday. She couldn't stop talking about you and I think you should ask her. She has a huge crush on you and really wanted to go to this dance with you. Wouldn't it be cute if we double dated? We could have dinner beforehand, it'll be great!" The excitement building in her voice as she talked.

Bryan gave Tala a nudge "Go for it Tal, you like her to. Liv can set you up, you guys have a great night." He finished the joint in his hand and tossed it aside, ignoring the glare that Tala was giving him.

Tala knew he had to go to the dance. Bryan never went to any of the social events at the school unless he absolutely had to or they were outside. He was more claustrophobic than Tala and Kai combined. "It doesn't seem like I have much of a choice" He let out a long sigh, looking at the grass in front of him "I can ask Miriam after school today. She wanted to get coffee and hangout." he said quietly.

Olyvia squealed and had to stop herself at the last second from hugging Tala "This will be so fun! You and Miriam can come shopping with us next week and we'll get you two cute outfits too! We can all match!"

Ice blue eyes rolled at the excitement of the smaller girl beside him. "Yeah it sounds like a great time" He muttered as he glared back at Bryan while the bell rang. This was one of the few things Tala didn't like about being apart of the brothers circle. He didn't get much of a say in what he ever wanted to do. In order for them to keep up their illusion that the boys were normal they let people like Olyvia dictate what they were doing so they could remain integrated in the school and appear like they belonged.

Olyvia grabbed Kai's arm, forcing him to stand up. The bell had rang "Walk me to class? I can't be late anymore." As Kai stood up he stumbled backwards. The high causing him to get dizzy and lose his balance. Olyvia raises her eyebrow as he steadied himself "Are you okay?"

Kai nodded and grinned again "Yeah got up too fast. Let's go" He said, refusing to look back at Tala and Bryan, knowing they were staring at him.

Olyvia shrugged and held Kai's hand as they walked. "We'll have to talk about Julia's party soon as well. That's coming up to. She's having her huge Halloween party"

Kai nodded "Yeah I figured we're going to that too. It's on a weekend so I'll have to ask my uncle if I can even go. And see if Tala will go." The two continued to walk towards the school, joining the rest of the students as they filed into the building.

Tala sighed as the two walked away. He lit another cigarette and took a long drag. He debated on bringing up Kai's mood but thought better of it for the time being "I still don't know why he wastes his time with Olyvia."

Bryan shrugged and waited until he watched the last of the students walk into the school. "Part of the charade my uncle puts us through" he muttered through clenched teeth. Pain had slowly started to course through his body during his second class. It was going to get worse through the day and for once Bryan was almost glad Boris wanted them right after school. It meant maybe the pain wouldn't get to an unmanageable point. "Plus I think he actually likes her. She's really not that bad, just your typical highschool teenager"

Tala rolled his eyes "But why her? Out of every girl in this school, he's never shown interest in liking girls before. Why now"

The older boy rolled his eyes, holding his hands in tight fists as the pain started to travel more rapidly than it normally did "Maybe after fucking you for so long he realized he didn't actually like dick" he said with a laugh, quickly dodging Tala when the red head tried to punch him. Even the small punch from his friend would bring him to his knees right now. "Give him his chance with her. It's better on both of you if you're not together" Bryan looked at the school, he didn't know if he could handle being in the building for the rest of the day

"You keep saying that and never give me a reason why. It's fucking annoying. The two of us should be allowed to date who we want. You can't control Kai's whole life." Tala lit his last cigarette. He dealt with Bryan calling him princess but that last comment stung. Just because he didn't have a dick, it didn't make him any less of a man. He'd get there, it just took time.

"If he finds out that you two were ever together, he'd have me kill you" Bryan said coldly.

Tala's eyes widened, this was the first he'd ever heard the threat "Why-why would he want me dead?"

Bryan shook his head "Not really a conversation I want to get in at a school. You know what Kai is to Boris, he won't let anyone interfere with that. That's why, if it comes down to it. I could kill Liv if Boris found out about her. Hell if Kai starts with that Rei kid who wants him. I could kill him too. I can't kill you." He said, his voice trailing off.

Tala only nodded. There wasn't anything he could say to that. It was the first time Bryan had ever given Tala a real reason on why he and Kai had to break up. "So are you going to the dance?" He asked to change the subject. It was obvious at this point neither of them were going to the next class.

Bryan shook his head "No, you know I can't handle them. There aren't enough drugs or alcohol on this planet that could get me through that. Plus I don't know how much longer I can keep faking it at school. Kai's got two years left. No way I can stay here until I'm 25. You're going to have to help keep an eye on him."

Tala sighed "What if I can't, you know I hate social situations as much as you two do."

"If you stopped this straightedge bullshit you might enjoy it a little more. Smoke something more than a cigarette." Bryan stated as Tala finished the smoke he had in his hand.

Tala rolls his eyes "I don't want to become an addict like my dad. I do fine as it is. You should try it sometime."

Bryan shook his head "Tal, the only time I've been sober is when I'm stuck with my uncle for a few days. Not a whole lot of fun if you ask me." He decided to change the subject, annoyed that he always seemed to come back to him "So are you actually going to ask Miriam to the dance? From what Liv is saying she likes you a lot."

Tala shrugged again and stared at the school building "I know she does. I'll ask her tonight. We're hanging out after school. So I'll just walk home when we're done. Then you guys don't have to wait around"

Bryan stretched against the tree and stood up straight "You can take the car, I'll get a ride for Kai and I. Boris is home early and wants us both there right after school."

Tala nodded "Is that why Kai is higher than normal? I know he isn't a fan when your uncle is home. Do you want me to go to the apartment for the weekend?"

Bryan sighed "That's what I'm figuring. On what, I'm not sure. He's probably popping pills again." he muttered. He'd have to talk with his little brother again and get him to stop being an idiot. Bryan didn't care if he drank or smoked pot, but the pills were another thing, easier to overdose on if he wasn't careful. "You should be fine to go home. We'll be in the lab probably until tomorrow, maybe if we're lucky we get to do survival training"

Tala sighed and nodded. The boys never said to Tala exactly what their uncle did to them, he knew some of the things like the abuse Kai went through. He often wondered if Bryan was used the same way. "Why don't we head back home until Kai's done class? I can grab the SUV and you can come back and pick Kai up with the car. Then you don't have to get a ride from someone?"

Bryan shrugged. He needed to get home soon anyways. The pain was starting to become unbearable and Bryan didn't know if he could hide it much longer. "Yeah, you drive"

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The day had ended and Bryan had gone back to the school to pick up Kai. He was resting his head on the steering wheel while he waited for his blue-haired brother to hurry out of the building. The pain that had steadily been growing as the day progressed getting to an unbearable point. It felt like his body was trying to tear itself apart from the inside. Dammit Kai, hurry the fuck up. Bryan thought to himself. At this point he wasn't even sure if he'd be able to drive them home. He wasn't entirely sure how he managed to get back to the school.

"You don't look so good Bry…" a deep voice said quietly as the passenger door opened. Kai got in the car and looked over concerned at his brother. He hadn't seen Bryan look this sickly in a long time. "When did you run out of your injections?" He questioned as he closed the door slowly, knowing the sound wouldn't help either

"I'm fine" Bryan muttered through clenched teeth. He started the car and backed out of the parking space before tearing out of the parking lot and heading towards home. As much as he was dreading having to spend the weekend with Boris, knowing the pain was going to go made it almost worth it. He knew when Boris gave him the needles that he had lowered the dose, whether it was on purpose or not, he didn't know.

Kai rolled his eyes as he buckled his seatbelt. "You're a shit liar you know. Why didn't you buy something off the street if you knew you were going to run out?" The boy questioned, oblivious to the death glares he was getting from beside him as he started to change the radio station.

Bryan took a deep breath as he gripped the steering wheel tighter. One of these days this boy was going to drive him to kill him. "I have been. It only works for so long. Boris only gave me enough to last a couple weeks. Now will you shut up?! My head is killing me and I don't need your babbling added to it"

The blue haired boy jumped in his seat. He wasn't used to the older one snapping at him like this. He must really be in a lot of pain. I haven't seen him this bad since the testing started back up. Kai remained quiet for the rest of the drive, not wanting to set Bryan off even more.

The car pulled up in front of the massive house where Boris lived. He wasn't really the boy's uncle but it made explaining who he was to people easier. The brothers didn't have parents so legally needed a guardian in their lives so the old man played the part of their uncle who adopted them when their parents died. The truth was, neither of the boys knew who their parents were, if they had ever had any to begin with.

The house was set back in the middle of a two acre lot, iron fencing surrounded the perimeter with a guarded entrance. Cameras were located throughout the property to keep surveillance over the entire area.

The house itself was one of the biggest in the area and quite elaborate. It was white brick with large pillars at the entrance. Huge bay windows gave off a homey feel with the curtains pulled back to allow for as much light to enter as the sun would give. A deck was located on the second floor with a view of the large yard behind the home. The guest house where the boys stayed could be seen at the far end of the property, the farthest point from the mansion.

Kai and Bryan remained in the car while they waited for security to come out and fetch them. After a stint Bryan had pulled a few years back, neither boy was allowed inside without an escort. "And there's our favourite team" Bryan muttered as six armed security guards walked out the front door. Each of them dressed in a black suit with dark sunglasses. Without having to look, the boys knew they would be armed with guns and tasers. The hadn't had to be used in a while but Boris was taking all precautions after almost losing his life at the hands of a very angry teenager five years ago.

"You think he'll ever relax and stop with the flex of power?" Kai said with a grin, knowing full well neither boy had any amount of power or free will when it came to the man inside.

"Yeah if that day ever comes, he'll be fucking dead" Bryan muttered back as he stepped out of the car. The guards already drawing their weapons and aiming them on the lavender haired man who looked to barely be able to stand

"You know the drill. Keep your hands where I can see them." One of the guards said to Bryan as he pulled out a pair of handcuffs "Boris had said you wouldn't be able to put up much of a fight today. What the fuck happened to you?" He asked as he grabbed Bryan roughly, smirking as the boy inhaled sharply, clearly in pain. He yanked the boy's arms hard behind his back as he placed the handcuffs around his wrists.

Bryan remained quiet and didn't say a word as he did as he was told. He wasn't in the mood to give his usual snarky remarks. He knew the guards feared him and if he didn't feel like he was going to pass out he would've punched the guard for his comment. Kai followed behind obediently only having a guard on either side of him and no handcuffs or weapons on him.

The boys were led inside the ornate steel door entrance. The front foyer had silver marble flooring. A twin staircase outlined the entrance as it rose to the second floor, the boys bedrooms used to be up there when they were kids. The guards led the boys through the front foyer to a small hallway, at the end of the hall was the office in which Boris always had them brought to. It was there he would tell them what to expect over the next few days in his company.

"Ah, boys how nice it is to see you again." Boris greeted them as they were led inside the office. "You may all leave now" He said, waving the guards off. He smiled as he caught the glance one of them made towards Bryan "Don't worry about him, he couldn't harm a fly in the state he's in." The guard nodded and followed his companions through the door, closing it behind him.

The older man in front of them wore a pair of thin rimmed glasses and had his short purple hair slicked back. A dark designer suit and black gloves completed his outfit. The man stood from his chair behind his red maple desk, holding a cane in his left hand he walked around the desk with a slight limp.

It was satisfying to the brothers when they saw the limp. It had been given to the man by Bryan when the experiments had started again. "Now how are my boys" Boris said, keeping up the act knowing his men were just outside the door

"We're fine sir" Kai answered for them. He could see Bryan's green eyes fixated on a small metal box sitting on the desk. It contained the injections that Bryan's body was craving.

Boris walked over to the boys and looked them up and down as he inspected them, going over in his head what he would do with them that weekend. "It doesn't appear fine now does my young Falcon" Boris said as he placed his hand on Bryan's shoulder, squeezing tightly knowing how much it would hurt the much taller boy.

It took everything in Bryan not to gasp from the pain Boris was causing him just by touching him. It felt like hot pokers just out of a fire stabbing into his shoulder "It seems you've gone much too long without your medication. Now what shall we do about that? It's been a few weeks since I've seen either of you hasn't it. You'll be pleased to hear that we have a new serum to try. One that could help you immensely boy. Would you be willing to try it?" Boris asked Bryan, his hand going to the boy's face as he caressed his cheek, down his jaw. "What's happened here?" He asked, his fingers tenderly moving along the bruise Rei had given him.

Bryan remained quiet, disgust flowing through him as Boris continued to touch him. He knew exactly what the man wanted in exchange for the medication on the desk. As for the new serum, he knew he wouldn't get a choice in the matter whether he wanted to try it or not.

Boris walked over to Kai. He had to give Bryan credit, the boy would not break and give him the complete submission he was after. It didn't matter what tactics Boris tried, nothing brought Bryan to begging. He was going to change that. "My Phoenix, it's been some time now hasn't it. A month almost"

Kai watched as Boris walked towards him, his hand caressing down Kai's face when he got to him. He ran his fingers through the blue hair. "Yes sir" Kai answered automatically. He didn't move as Boris continued to slid his hand tenderly from his hair and down Kai's face, brushing his thumb against his cheek

"Well you two will be pleased to hear that I'll be staying for the week. I have some investors coming this weekend and I need to make sure the two of you are in top shape." His eyes turned to Bryan "Now are you going to cooperate for once?"

Bryan managed a smirk and stood taller, his green eyes glaring down at the older man in front of him "Go fuck yourself" he replied. "The day I cooperate is the day you die"

Boris' face darkened. "Oh, Falcon. One of these days you'll learn it's just easier to do as I say. Now I'll ask you one last time. Would you like your medication?" The man asked walking over to his desk. He unlocked the metal box and took out a large needle containing a vibrant amber liquid. He turned to look at Bryan, giving a satisfied smile as green eyes dilated and fixated on the needle.

The lavender haired boy stared at the needle as he breathing laboured. He clenched his jaw tight not wanting to give in. Bryan's body was already shaking as it craved the needle. He closed his eyes and shook his head. It wasn't worth the cost. He could deal with his muscles feeling like they were tearing from his bones, his nerves continuously misfiring and send pain signals coursing through his body. He wouldn't give in, if he could hold out long enough Boris would have to just give him the injection.

Kai sighed and looked at his brother. He knew Bryan was hurting and he knew how much his pride meant to him. "C'mon Bry..." Kai said quietly, pleading with Bryan to just give in to the old man, just once. He watched Bryan shake his head again, the other boy keeping his eyes closed and his head down. Kai turned towards the man in front of him. "Sir...Can- I can take his place" He knew Bryan was glaring daggers at him now and was pissed that Kai even suggested this.

Boris raised his eyebrow. This was unexpected. He knew the bond between them was unbreakable but he didn't expect Kai to offer himself in exchange "As enticing as the offer my boy, you'll already be with me this evening. This is for him to decide on. A guard is waiting outside for you. Why don't you go to the lab and start your physical trials. I need updated research on your performance. There are new endurance tasks for you to complete as well."

Kai nodded, he had tried to help Bryan. There wasn't much else he could do. "Yes sir" He answered and turned to leave, avoiding looking at his brother as he left. Closing the door behind him, he allowed his guard to escort him to the basement laboratory. It looked identical to the one he and Bryan had started their lives in. They both thought they had completely left that life behind when Boris claimed he was rescuing them from their horrid prison almost 10 years ago. For four years it seemed as if they were free, it had turned out to only be another test and shortly after Kai's 10th birthday the experiments began again.

Boris waited until Kai and the guard had left before looking back at Bryan "Now, are you going to make this difficult. I know how much you want this" The man said as he limped his way to the door, locking it so no one could come or go. He turned back to Bryan who watched him out of the corner of his eye.

"I've put up with worse" Bryan shrugged and crossed his arms over his chest. Boris quickly struck Bryan with his cane, bringing the boy to his knees. Bryan inhaled sharply, biting his tongue to keep from screaming. Pain shot up his arms from the impact of catching himself, causing the rest of his nerve to misfire and carry the pain throughout the rest of his body.

"Why must you always do things the hard way. You know I always get what I want" He knelt down in front of the boy and yanked his head up by his hair so Bryan was forced to look Boris in the eyes "Just because you're taller and stronger than I, doesn't mean I wont get what I want. You'd do well to remember that I own you. I created you to be this way. Though your attitude is less than expected, it's easily dealt with. So now you either earn this needle so we can get on with our day or I'll give one of your punishments to Phoenix."

Bryan snarled at Boris, pissed that he would use Kai as a way to get what he wanted. Why would Bryan think he wouldn't stoop that low "You know he can't handle them. He may physically but you know it'll mentally destroy him" Bryan countered but finally let out a frustrated sigh "Don't hurt him. I'll do it" He muttered as he pulled Boris' hand out of his hair and sat back on his knees. He hated the man in front of him and hated even more that he was right. As much as Bryan tried, he didn't own his own life and had no control over what he did or what happened to him.

Boris grinned evilly, he knew using Kai would make Bryan obey. It kept the lavender hair boy under control if only barely. If he went too far with Kai, Bryan would lash out. It was a careful line to hover over. Too far one way and Boris could be the subject of Bryan's wrath once again. He stood up and walked over to the thick cushioned chair and took a seat "See we could have done this the easy way. But I understand you don't want your brother to see you're as much of my bitch as he is" the man chuckled to himself as he got comfortable "If only you were as willing as he is. But you continue to put up this fight every time"

Throwing his jacket at the couch, Bryan ran his hands through his hair, avoiding looking at the man waiting for him. "You'd think you would have given up and realized I'll never be willing." he said as he knelt down in front of Boris, the feeling of disgust returning. He already felt dirty and hadn't even touched Boris yet. He closed his eyes and let out a long breath before undoing Boris' pants and taking his already very swollen cock in his hand.

Boris rested his head back on the chair and let out a ragged breath, yes this was exactly what he needed. "And you'd think you would have realized I always get what I want." He sucked in a sharp breath as Bryan took him into his mouth. He gripped the back of Bryan's hair tightly, controlling Bryan's movements. The boy was good, he excelled in every aspect of his training, this was no exception.

When Boris found his release Bryan pulled back, wiping the remains off the corner of his mouth. He stood up and walked over to the book shelf, an assortment of liquor bottles lined one of the shelves. Bryan picked one up and removed the lid. He took a long drink, letting the liquid burn down his throat. "Now where's the medication?" Bryan asked sharply as he turned to look at the man who had done up his pants and was now lounging in the chair.

"Why don't you come back over here and I'll give it to you" Boris said with a small smile. He waited for Bryan to saunter over. The boy kept the bottle with him and took another long drink as he walked over. He kept a slight distance from the older man. "You need to come closer if you want me to give it to you."

Bryan rolled his eyes and knelt back down in front of Boris, taking a third drink from the bottle. He couldn't actually get drunk but the burn of the whiskey would at least help get rid of the taste of Boris in his mouth. He obediently held out his arm to Boris who took the needle off the side table beside him. He pulled the cap off and lined the end of the needle up with a visible vein. Bryan couldn't keep his eyes off the thin needle, his body starting to shake again with anticipation. Boris injected the contents of the needle into Bryan's arm. The boy let out a small sigh as the chemicals started to work instantly at numbing the pain

Boris pulled out the needle and recapped it before setting it back on the table. Standing up he left Bryan in his euphoria as the contents continued to course through his body. He unlocked the office door and motioned for some of the guards to come in "Hurry and get him downstairs. Chain him in his cell. It won't take him long to realize this isn’t the numbing agent he's used to. Those effects will wear off rather quickly. Do with him as you will, he needs to be punished." The guards obeyed and cuffed Bryan before leading him to the basement where Kai was already hard at work running an obstacle course.

It didn't take long for Bryan to realize it wasn't his usual medication. Though the pain seemed less, it hadn't backed off even a quarter of what it should've done by this point. Suddenly he felt very sick and dizzy. If it weren't for the guards holding him as they brought him to his 'room' he would’ve collapsed, his legs unable to hold him up anymore. What was going on? Something isn’t right. Bryan thought to himself. His thoughts confirmed as he was cuffed to chains in the wall “You just had to have an advantage…” he muttered as the guards closed themselves into the cell with Bryan, looking like they were going to thoroughly enjoy what they were about to do. 

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Once Kai had gotten to the lab he noticed the course he would be running. It looked more intense than anything he’d done before. A scientist walked over to meet Kai at the front of the course. “You’re to change into this” She said and handed Kai an outfit. 

The boy took the outfit and changed in front of the scientist. He wondered how Bryan was making out with Boris. His stubborn brother never told him what went on when they weren’t in the lab together but he knew by how Bryan acted when he got out it wasn’t good. 

“What am I doing today?” Kai asked once he was changed into the white track pants and matching t-shirt. The scientist walked over and started to place electrode stickers on Kai’s upper body to measure his heart rate and patterns while he completed the course. 

The scientist finished placing the stickers and connected wires to the stickers and to a device that was then taped the Kai’s back to keep it in place. Kai wasn’t sure how he was supposed to run and keep all these stickers in place. More wires were placed in his hair with a glue against his scalp to hold them in place. “You’ll be running this course three times. I’ll be monitoring your speed, endurance as well as your heart rate and breathing patterns. These here” The scientist said as the wires on his head were connected to a different device “will measure your stress levels of the course”

Kai looked back at the course and let out a small sigh. “Alright, let’s get this started” He walked over and took his place at the beginning of the course. 

The course started with a short sprint to reach a 20 foot wall that Kai had to climb, at the top he had to jump and grab a series of rings, swinging from one ring to the next. Next Kai climbed even higher on a rock wall with an overhang making it difficult to climb, if he fell he was going to land on the concrete floor. Kai continued through the rock wall, gripping the rock handles tightly as he climbed so he wouldn’t slip. 

At the top of the rockwall was a series of ropes that descended downward. Kai had to swing from one rope and hope to catch the next rope on the way down, and continue that until he was back on ground level. At the bottom Kai crawled through claylike muck underneath a barbed wire fence. 

The second last leg of the race was a swim through a strong current olympic sized swimming pool before running back the length of the entire course to the beginning where he started and the scientist was waiting for him. They had taken notes the entire time and watched Kai meticulously as he ran the course. 

“Very well done. For the next round, the pool current will be increased. Rubber bullets will be fired at you and I’ll need you to strap that vest on” The scientist stated as they continued to take notes, barely glancing towards the vest that Kai needed to wear. 

Kai nodded, he knew he wouldn’t get much of a break between the runs. They were clearly looking for certain results with how intense the course was getting. Kai pulled on the vest, it had to weigh at least 200 pounds. Great, so he had to wear a vest that weighed as much as he did and try to avoid being shot. This was going to be fun. Kai finished strapping the vest on and got ready to run the race again. 

He was determined to beat his time from the previous run or at least the same time. The hardest part was going to be the rock wall and the rope swing. Kai took a deep breath and was about to start when he heard the door to the lab open. He looked over to see Bryan being ushered in with his group of guards. He didn’t look any better and Kai wondered if he still refused Boris’ offer for the medication. He watched the guards lead Bryan into his cell, what he didn’t like was the guards closing themselves in the room with his brother, leaving two outside to keep watch. 

“Phoenix?” A voice behind him snapped him back to his task at hand. “Are you ready?” The scientist asked as they finished writing the results down from the last race. 

Kai nodded and started his next run. He missed his first run up the wall, mind focused more on what was happening with Bryan than on what he was doing. He had to back up a bit and take another run before managing to get the momentum to get up the wall. 

By the time Kai had finished his second run he was exhausted. Breathing heavy, Kai dropped to his hands and knees to catch his breath. He hurt where some of the rubber bullets had managed to hit him. They couldn’t embed in his skin but that didn’t mean they couldn’t bruise and hurt like hell 

“Very well done boy” the familiar voice of Boris said as he knelt down to offer Kai a small glass of water.

Kai took the water gratefully and took tiny sips, learning from experience not to chug it down. “Thank you sir.” He sat back and looked at Boris “Sir may I ask a question?”

Boris nodded “What is it boy?” This was out of the ordinary for the boy. He learned from watching Kai through the school cameras and the cameras he had in their home that he acted very different towards Boris than he did with anyone else in his company. 

“What are you doing to Bryan? You’re not going to kill him are you?” Kai knew this wasn’t his place but he needed an answer. He would take the punishment, he did deserve it for asking questions he wasn’t entitled to. 

“Though it’s none of your concern what I do with him. He will live. He needs to be reminded of his place. The young Falcon feels the need to defy me every chance he gets. By the end of his training this week he’ll know his place.” He stood up and started away from Kai. “When you’re finished here for the night. I expect you showered and in my bed. Understand?”

Kai nodded “Yes sir, thank you for answering my question” He said, he was scared for Bryan now. They needed to get away from this man. But he was so conflicted in his thoughts. The man had treated the boys like family. A lot of the time he treated Kai like a son, they had a roof over their heads and other than the testing and experiments they got everything they could ever want. If Bryan would just cooperate like Kai did, things wouldn’t be so hard on him. 

Boris had saved them from the laboratory they started out in. Kai knew he was created in the lab, he’d been told that forever. In fact it was Bryan that had actually given him his name. Before he met Bryan he’d just been known as Phoenix. Bryan had been defiant since the beginning and insisted Kai had a name, that everyone needed one. 

Kai had one run left to do and the difficulty was increased again. The vest weight was now 500 pounds and wind was added to the room to make the rings and rope parts of the course even harder as well. They better be getting the results they were looking for, Kai was exhausted already and he had only put on the vest. 

Starting the run, Kai struggled at the beginning. He had already tried twice and couldn’t get the momentum to get up the damn wall. He glared at the wall and focused on his breathing. He’d carried more weight than this, hell he could even move loaded transport trucks on his own. Why was he struggling so much with this. Kai stepped back to give himself a running start once again. 

Taking a deep breath he ran for the wall again, this time putting everything he had into it and running up the wall, just grabbing the edge with his fingertips. He pulled himself up, hearing bullets bounce off the wall around him. He gasped as one ricocheted and caught him in the face. 

Kai paused to take a breath before continuing on the race. He knew he wasn’t beating his time but he was going to finish this damn thing. After managing to get through the rings without falling, Kai started on the rockwall. He did it with ease until the overhand where he was almost upside down. He got to the top and struggled to catch his breath. The next part with the ropes actually scared him a little. He’d have to grab the rope just above the knot to keep the rope from tearing his hands apart as he slid down it. 

Just as he was about to jump, a muffled scream was heard from across the room. Kai froze and his eyes instantly darted to the door where Bryan was. He stayed frozen, what were they doing to him? He should be out here running the course with Kai, not locked in a room with guards doing who knows what to him. 

“Phoenix! Finish the course!” The scientist called form below, breaking Kai from his trance once again. Kai nodded. The faster he got the course done, the faster he could hopefully go check up on his brother. The blue haired boy, more determined than before to hurry and finish the challenge completed the rest of the course.

Kai collapsed at the end, completely exhausted, all his energy spent. He took the vest off and tossed it aside as he caught his breath “Can-can I go see my brother?” he asked the scientist as they started to disconnect the wires and stickers from Kai, placing the two devices on a table near a computer where they could analyze the data. 

The scientist shook their head while the finished unhooking Kai “No, you’re done in the lab today. Boris has requested your presence for dinner” 

“Okay.” Kai answered, he wanted to argue but knew it wouldn’t get him anywhere. “I’ll be going now then” he said as he walked towards the door, a second scream coming from the room. Kai covered his ears and kept walking. He fought every instinct within him not to run back and knock the guards out in front of the door and get Bryan out. He let the door close behind him and walked up the stairs. It was getting late and Boris would be expecting him soon. 

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

While Kai was about to deal with his own personal hell upstairs, Bryan was currently dealing with his own at the hands of Boris’s guards. 

Bryan looked up at the guards, he knew each of them and had at some point punched and or threatened each and every one of them. He watched as the closed the door and locked themselves in the room with him. He pulled lightly at the chains in the wall. They were very thick and bolted into the wall. In his current condition he knew he wouldn’t be able to break them. “So what’s the plan boys” Bryan breathed through clenched teeth 

“Oh there’s a lot we have planned for you asshole. Consider this payback for the hell you put us through” Erik, one of the guards said as he yanked Bryan up by his hair and punched him across the face before letting him drop and kicking him in the ribs repeatedly. The other guard in the room, Greg, joined in and the two of them continued to kick Bryan. “We’re going to beat you and do things to you you’d never dream of” 

Bryan curled up and embraced the kicks. He stayed in a tight ball as they continued to hurl kicks and punches at him. Finally, it felt like hours, the assault stopped. Bryan took a shaky breath, “That the best you got” He coughed, blood spraying on the floor from him biting his tongue. He knew he had a couple broken ribs. 

Erik laughed and motioned for Greg to help him pull Bryan to his feet. “That’s funny. Didn’t know you had a sense of humour in there” He said as the two men pushed Bryan against the wall, knocking his face off the brick. Erik motioned for a third guard who so far had just been observing to come over. “By the time were done, you won’t be able to sit for a month” The other guard and Greg held Bryan securely against the wall, they each took a pair of handcuffs from their belts and used them to attach the current pair Bryan was wearing to the bolts in the wall. 

Instinct at not being able to move surged through Bryan and he went into fight or flight mode, struggling with all he had against the restraints. He wasn’t about to let these assholes rape him. The pain of his body weakened him and it angered Bryan even more. He should be able to break the bolts. 

He felt a knife against his skin as it slid up his back to rip his shirt, tearing into his skin at the same time. Bryan hissed from the pain. He felt blood start to drip down his back. He wasn’t going down without a fight and continued to struggle. Erik grabbed Bryan and yanked his head back before bashing it off the brick “Settle down there boy” He said as he finished tearing Bryan’s shirt off. “You know if you didn’t have all these scars and ink, you’d have a great body” 

Bryan shook his head, dazed from the head trauma. He stopped moving. There wasn’t anything he could do right now. He started to retreat inside himself. What else was he supposed to do? He couldn’t break free, his body felt like it was dipped in a vat of molten lava. Bryan closed his eyes, he could feel them tearing his jeans off and felt, probably Erik, enter him. He knew it hurt but he wasn’t in the room anymore. 

He took himself to his only retreat, a place where he and Kai were free. They could live the life they wanted with who they wanted. He’d be with Candace, he could put up with Rei if he had to. Kai could be with Tala or Olyvia. Hell even Rei if he wanted. Kai lived on his own in a house beside Bryan, that way he could still keep an eye on him if he needed to but he could live his own life. 

An excruciating pain brought Bryan back to reality. He didn’t know how long he was out of it but the pain was worse than anything he had ever felt before, he couldn’t help but scream. Tears were streaming down his face, or was it blood? He couldn’t tell, he didn't even know he had started crying. 

Bryan’s breathing laboured, his knees gave out and his arms attached to the bolts were the only things keeping him upright. Whatever they had done, stopped just as quickly. Bryan let out a relieved breath before the pain returned. He screamed again needing to know what they were doing.

“The boy can make a sound” Erik laughed at Bryan. “Have you had enough yet? You just need to beg and we’ll stop” Erik offered. All three of his men including him had had their way with the lavender hair in front of them. 

He was impressed Bryan hadn’t made a single noise when they had continuously raped him over and over until the men were satisfied. He had to give the kid credit, he didn’t give up. Well that was going to change. Boris had never had Erik lead the punishments. He was going to prove his worth to his boss and break the unbreakable falcon. 

Erik pulled Bryan’s head back and forced him to look Erik in the eyes “Are you giving up yet” He asked, the defiance still in those green eyes 

“Go. Fuck. Yourself!” Bryan spat at Erik. The guard released his hold on Bryan and smirked 

“Suit yourself kid.” He turned towards his comrades “Up the voltage, we’ll break before this night is over. I’m sure there’s more staff who would love to have their way with him” Erik waited for Greg to turn up the voltage on the battery before pressing the wires back against Bryan’s body, relishing in pain he was causing and enjoying the screams coming from the boy.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Please Read and review!

Tala was lounging on the couch re-reading one of his favourite books. The white lamp above him gives off a soft glow to the space of the living room. He had his phone set on his chest quietly playing his favourite music and a steaming peppermint tea sitting on the table beside him. This was his happy place, or one of them. He enjoyed his time alone where he could read and get lost in the lives of the characters in the stories. Bryan never understood how Tala could sit and read for hours on end, let alone entire days and nights. He loved getting lost in different worlds, timelines, even alternate realities. It didn't made as long as it was a good story, Tala would read it.

It was late on Sunday evening, Bryan and Kai were still with their uncle. They should be back any time. It was one part of the routine that never changed. The boys always returned before nine if they were getting freed that night. On the rare occasion Boris would keep them into the start of the week, but that was on the most rare of occasions. Tala could only think of a few instances where it actually happened.

The boys lived in the guest house at the far corner of Boris' property. When Tala was younger, he often wondered what it would have been like to live in the luxurious mansion on the top of the hill. He had questioned Kai why they chose to live in the guest house and Kai's answer was always the same. It was the only place that felt like home.

Over the years Tala had started to put the truth together. Bryan and Kai were human experiments to a horrible Russian scientist. The things that were done to the boys, Tala couldn't comprehend how someone could actually do that to another human being. But he was sure Boris didn't think of either of the boys as human. They were just his property to do with as he pleased, and that was exactly what Boris did. Tala learned from Kai some of the things that were done to him, even Kai wasn't sure to the extent of what was done to Bryan and the lavender hair boy never spoke of what happened to him in the mansion.

Tala took a small sip of his tea as the front door swung open. He could hear a vehicle squeal away in the distance in the driveway outside. Kai walked in looking more pale than normal and on the verge of collapse. Tala didn't realise he dropped the cup as he tried to set it down and hurried over to Kai, catching him as his legs gave out. The force of Kai's body mass dropping quickly caused them both to fall. Tala wasn't strong enough to hold Kai's full weight on his own. "Fuck," Tala gasped, wincing as Kai landed on him. Damn the boy was heavy.

"Sorry..." the blue haired boy muttered sheepishly as he struggled to stand, his whole body shaking with exhaustion. His uncle had pushed Kai's body to every physical limit this weekend. If Kai had thought the Friday afternoon was hard. It was nothing compared to the tests that Kai had to perform the rest of the weekend. Boris was different this weekend, he normally pushed Kai to the limits, but there was usually enough of a break that Kai could recoup from the tests. This weekend was not like that.

Kai was pushed to every physical and mental limit possible, all while the assholes in the white coats took notes and monitored the results. The Saturday morning after Kai had spent the night in Boris's bed he was brought down to the lab without breakfast. He ran the same course that he had ran the previous day, this time more weight was added and additional obstacles were placed in his way. If he fell he was electrocuted by a small device that was hooked up to his chest. It hurt like hell and made him weak as the electricity coursed through his body. He wasn't fed the entire weekend and Boris kept him up all night, once he was done fucking the boy he sent him back to the lab where he would be forced to run the course over and over for the remainder of the night.

Today was the most unusual tests he had ever done. Once again not being allowed to sleep, he was allowed a small breakfast of plain oatmeal and water while he waited for the new course to be set up. The scientist explained that Kai would be on a recon mission. The room was set up like the inside of an office building floor. How they managed to do that in such a short timeframe, Kai wasn't sure. It wasn't his place to ask either. He was given a small amount of information on what he was looking for. It was explained to Kai as he was handed a small pistol that there would be obstacles in his way that he would have to take out. Making sure to remain as unnoticed as possible by the rest of the people in the building.

Kai had no idea what the point of any of this was, sure he had trained to use weapons and to defend himself. He knew a multitude of self defense techniques and how to protect himself. He could unlock computers and read encrypted data, he also knew at least 13 different languages. It was never explained to him why he needed this knowledge until now. As Kai proceeded through the new course, being made to start over anytime he was 'caught', he realized that it was similar to those missions you see in movies where the hero was trying to learn about the bad guy and had to remain stealthy and unseen while he maneuvered in the base of the bad guy.

Maybe this was finally an answer to why he had been created? Kai thought it over while he belly crawled under a desk, curling up under as he heard faint footsteps. This was someone Kai would have to take out quietly in order to proceed as they were right in front of the door.

By the end of the day Kai was exhausted. He had to fight many people and some of them were extremely talented and had Kai on his ass before he'd even realized what was going on. This continued until Boris had decided that was enough for the day and Kai was sent on his way. He wanted to ask about Bryan, it was unusual that he hadn't seen his brother at all since he was dragged into the room in the corner of the lab. He knew better than to ask again after Boris had hit him the previous night for his insolence and even thinking he had the right to ask again about Bryan. He kept quiet, Bryan was probably already back in the guest house anyways.

"We need to get you to the couch and get some food in you. You need sleep too…" Tala said softly as he helped Kai stand, breaking the slate haired boy from his thoughts.

"Is Bryan back" Kai asked, his voice faint from exhaustion. He used all his remaining strength to stay standing. Tala was trying to help hold him but his red headed friend didn't have the strength to support Kai's weight

Tala tried to guide Kai towards the couch, needing to get him seated before he collapsed again. "No, he hasn't come back yet. Maybe he went out? I was gone for a few hours this morning so I could have missed him." The smaller boy mentally scrolled through a list of things he could do to make Kai more comfortable. Kai reeked of sweat and blood. He became slightly more stable as he leaned against Tala. Kai shook his head as they shuffled towards the leather couch.

"I- I don't think so. I think he made Boris really mad this time. I heard him scream Tal. He doesn't scream. He never has" Crimson eyes full of worry met ice blue. "I-I want to shower first" He said, knowing Tala would understand why and not argue with him. "I'm gross."

"I'm sure Bryan is fine. You know how tough he is. You've said yourself Bryan shrugs off everything Boris throws at him. Let's get you cleaned up okay? Don't worry about him." Tala tried to reassure Kai as he helped him towards the bathroom. He knew the bond the two brothers shared. They were each other's whole world. Tala hoped that Bryan was okay for Kai's sake. The blue haired boy would die knowing anything happened to his brother. He nearly had when Bryan got arrested and Boris let him go to jail to prove a point. Boris had to bail Bryan out early because Kai had completely shut down, thinking he'd never see his brother again. It was the worst thing Tala had experienced.

Kai hadn't gotten to shower since Friday night and could still feel Boris' greedy hands all over his body. It disgusted him and made him feel awful but there were worst things that could go on, right?

Tala nodded and obeyed, helping Kai get to the bathroom. It was down a small hallway in between Kai and Bryan's room. Tala's room was on the other side of the house off the kitchen. It was never a simple task as Kai was taller than him and weighed quite a bit more. Maybe I should take Bryan up on building some muscle tone, it would certainly help with this. Tala thought to himself as they got to the bathroom. Kai sat down on the toilet seat awkwardly as Tala started the shower. "Let's get you undressed." He said and pulled Kai's shirt over his head.

Kai didn't like being coddled and felt like a child but he needed Tala's help and knew his closest friend wouldn't judge him or hold it over his head later. Besides, he really didn't have a choice. Most of the time Kai was able to take care of himself and didn't need help with things as simple as a shower. He didn't understand why Tala was always so willing to help him. He didn't want to burden the red head, he did enough with Tala having to follow him around.

Multiple bruises with varying severity covered Kai's arms and where he must have been grabbed over the weekend. Other perfectly circular bruises covered the rest of his body. Tala wondered what had caused those bruises. They were very dark and clearly done with a lot of impact. Fingerprints burned into his skin with it's discoloration. The bruises and nail marks on Kai's shoulders and hips angered Tala. Boris didn't need to be that rough with Kai and dig his nails in the boys flesh. He hated that Kai went through this. He knew what it was like to be physically abused. His own father used him as a punching bag much of his early life once his mother had left them.

Kai let Tala finish undressing him, barely having the strength to stand as Tala helped him out of his jeans. Tala held onto Kai as he stepped into the shower and then hopped in afterward, so the tired boy could hold onto him for support without needing to ask. He didn't bother taking off his outfit of shorts and a T-shirt.

"You...you don't need to stay in here" Kai whispered as he leaned back against the shower wall letting the scalding water cascade over his aching body. Tala still supported him slightly as he lathered up a cloth to wash the sweat and grime off Kai's body.

"I...need you to sit down hun." Tala said quietly ignoring Kai saying he could go. "You're still too tall for me to wash your hair." Kai looked Tala in the eyes and gave a cheeky smirk. Tala blushed and felt grateful that Kai couldn't really see in the stream of water.

"You just want me on my knees." He joked as Tala rolled his eyes, but obliged and did as he was told. He stared at the water which was running a murky brown in colour as all the sweat and grime got washed off his body. The soap smelled of pine as it lathered onto Kai's battered skin.

"Fuck off." Tala laughed and started to massage his fingers through Kai's hair, his mind wandering to more intimate times the two shared in the shower over the last couple years. He finished washing Kai and got out of the shower first.

Tala was still shy about Kai seeing his naked body even after all this time. He threw his wet clothes in a pile on the floor and found a white fluffy towel. Once Tala was covered he pulled the curtain back and pulled Kai out of the shower. His defined chest glistened in the light of the room and caught Tala's eyes.

Desperately ignoring his friend's alluring appearance he stopped to dry him off thoroughly and wrapped a thick blue towel around his waist.

"You need to eat now." He stated matter of factually, trying to bury his lewd memories of the other boy.

Kai shook his head. Food sounded horrible. "Or we can just watch a movie?" He tried last thing he wanted was food. He felt nauseous at just the thought of eating something. He really just wanted to sleep.

Tala rolled his eyes at the other boy once more "At least drink water?" Tala begged as he helped Kai to his bedroom so he could get dressed. Kai sat on the bed and moped, the exhaustion starting to kick in more. Kai watched Tala drop his towel and swiftly pick up one of Kai's bigger hoodies then slip it over his head. Tala figured he wasn't looking. But crimson eyes missed nothing.

The sweater was solid black, made of smooth cotton. It carried the smell of the blue haired boy with it. Tala embraced the scent of his best friend and loved it's familiarity. He started drying his hair while he walked to Kai's dresser to grab the other boy's clothes.

Kai smirked and decided to tease his friend. "You know you make it hard not to want you when you dress like that." he said as he yawned, flinching as Tala unexpectedly threw the pants he had grabbed.

Tala feigned frustration. "Not going to happen." He left the room and walked to the kitchen. He grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and a couple granola bars from the cupboard, leaving the empty box to be dealt with later.

He then walked back to Kai's room hoping the other boy was finally dressed. Taking his clothes off always seemed easier than helping him get dressed. "Drink this and if you're still awake after I clean up the mess in the bathroom we can watch a movie." Tala made a deal.

"You could just let the water dry itself. Who gives a shit." he tried, really just wanting Tala to sit with him, he craved the closeness of the other boy after enduring abuse at the hands of his ruthless Uncle.

"And Bryan would kill me if he comes home and sees the mess. I'll be two seconds. Don't sweat it." Tala knew better than to leave a mess. Bryan could be intimidating even to him. He decided to ignore Kai's imploring aura and left for the hallway.

"Don't forget that tea you spilled Princess." Kai called out to Tala as he held the water bottle that was handed to him. He took a small sip while he wanted for the red to return.

Upon returning Tala noticed Kai had put the pants on while he was gone. He was slightly relieved. Kai set the water bottle on the table by the bed. "So can we watch the movie?"

Tala glanced at his watch, he wasn't sure when Bryan was coming back. It was just a movie, what could it hurt.

Tala switched off the lights and locked the door. The smaller boy gave in this time around and climbed into the queen sized bed as Kai scooted over to give Tala room. They leaned against the hard oak headboard and Kai curled up under Tala's arm, gripping the soft sweater as his hand rested on Tala's chest. Tala picked up the remote from the nightstand and turned on Netflix, picking a movie he knew they both liked but wouldn't have to pay attention to. He handed Kai the bottle of water and watched as he let out a small groan. He took a few sips and handed it back. resting his head back against Tala's. Tala pulled the dark blue duvet over the two of them.

The red headed boy ran his dainty fingers through Kai's hair, absently playing with it as he sort of watched the movie. He kissed the top of Kai's head and rested his head against the other boy's once more. He could hear Kai's breathing deepening and slowing as he finally passed out from exhaustion. Tala continued to play with Kai's hair, closing his eyes and just listening to the movie. He missed these close moments with his best friend. Tala considered the consequences for a second and decided to stay and enjoy himself, despite his better judgment. He dozed off.

Kai woke up sometime later. How long did I sleep for? He thought to himself. Glancing at the TV he noticed it was off. Did Tala shut it off or perhaps had it timed out and shut itself off? Kai lifted his head, Tala was sound asleep against him. He looked at his watch, it was after 4:30 in the morning. They had slept almost all night. He looked at Tala's sleeping form. He looked so peaceful when he slept, not a hint of stress or worry on his face. Kai leaned close and placed a soft kiss on Tala's cheek.

Tala's eyes fluttered open as crimson eyes stared into azure. He had always adored Kai's real eyes when he wasn't wearing the contacts. They were a deep scarlet red and glowed softly in the darkness.

Tala became distracted by his nagging, anxious thoughts. How long had they been sleeping? What time was it? Kai's hands turned Tala's head and made his friend focus on his own face again. The two made eye contact for a moment longer before Kai placed a light kiss on his lips, lingering before slowly pulling away. Without hesitation, Tala kissed Kai back with much more force. Kai gasped with contented surprise.

Without missing a beat, Kai pulled Tala close to him and deepened the kiss. Tala grabbed a fistful of Kai's hair holding the boy closer to him as they kissed with such a hunger and desire neither of them realized they had. Tala broke the kiss long enough to push Kai onto his back before straddling his waist. He captured Kai's lips again, his tongue pleading for entrance that Kai willingly gave

.

All of Tala's worrying had melted away. He was completely absorbed, his libido had consumed him in an instant. Desire blinded his judgement. Tala pulled away to peck firmly along Kai's strong jawline, moving to nibble on his ear as he trailed kisses down his neck and collarbone. Kai started squirming with pleasure at the pleasant touch. Tala smirked with satisfaction and paused to triumphantly kiss Kai's neck once more. He had missed having Kai at his mercy and adored making him feel good.

He reclaimed Kai's lips as the other boy's hands slid under the hoodie to hold Tala close to him. Kai sat up so Tala was sitting in his lap. Tala could feel Kai's swollen cock against the centre of his body. Tala wanted this as much as Kai did; if not then much more. Kai's hand crept up Tala's thigh to approach the part of the red haired boy that craved him the most.

Tala let out a low sensual moan for a second before pulling back from Kai. His sense finally coming back as he realized what was about to happen. His keen rationality broke the trance. He had been hypnotised by lust and desire for the slate haired boy.

More quickly than he thought he was capable, he was out of the bed and stood beside it. The two were breathing heavily as they caught their breath. Kai looked at Tala timidly. He felt confused, and was hurt by the rejection. Tala wanted this, and hated himself for getting up. He backed away, feeling the tears start to prick the corners of his eyes.

"I need a fucking cigarette" his voice cracked as he left the room, not giving Kai a chance to say anything as he shut the door and almost ran to his room.

Kai looked at the closed door and let out a long frustrated breath. His hand cupped his forehead. "Goddamn it." He whispered. He was worked up for nothing.

He shouldn't have kissed Tala again. But Tala had also kissed him back. He acted like he was enjoying himself? He knows he could say no? His body also seemed to be giving full indication that he wanted the same thing as Kai. Kai flopped backwards on his bed, he looked up at the ceiling wondering what he did wrong for Tala to not want him anymore. It ate at him a little everyday. His heart held a heaviness he was previously unaware of. Why can't things go back to the way they were between them? Not a single thought of Olyvia had crossed his mind. He was obsessed with trying to understand Tala.

Tala rounded the corner from Kai's room and into the living room. His cigarettes sitting on the side table by the couch where he left them. He grabbed the pack and opened the front door, not caring that he was only wearing a hoodie. The cold wasn't that bad as he lit a smoke and took a long, deep drag. Tears pricked at his eyes as he exhaled the smoke from his lungs. He thought about what Bryan had said about Boris wanting him dead if he was caught with Kai. How would Boris find out. Why couldn't they just run away and get away from this place.

There had to be a way to get rid of Boris and free the brothers from his grasp. Tala was determined to figure a way that he could be with Kai and not have to worry about his life. But how, that was the question that he needed to figure out. Tala leaned against the door and slid down to his knees. He hated how much he loved the crimson eyed boy. His chest throbbed as he choked out a sob.

Dropping the cigarette, Tala wrapped his arms around his knees and cried. This hurt more than anything his father had ever done to him. More than the beatings he'd been dealt. But there was nothing Tala could do about it except remain Kai's friend and do anything he could for him. If only Bryan had managed to kill the horrid Russian man those many years ago.

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"Thanks again for driving us Tala! It's a lot better than having to take the bus. They're so cramped and like smell like B.O. I don't get what people have against showering" Olyvia babbled on as she climbed into the backseat of the SUV.

It was Thursday afternoon, like promised, Kai and Tala were going with Olyvia to the mall to get her a dress and the boys tuxedos for the upcoming dance the following week. "Miriam is going to meet us there. She's getting a ride with Max and Emily. I said we'd meet up with them and we could all like match and have a great time. I think Tyson and that new kid Rei are going to be there too, probably Hilary as well" Olyvia continued to talk to the boys not overly caring if they answered her.

'Hey Liv, think you can be quiet for even a few minutes" Tala muttered as he started the vehicle and pulled out of the parking spot. He didn't think he could deal with her incessant chatter the 20 minute drive.

Olyvia's face flushed with embarrassment. She was only trying to lighten the mood. Kai hadn't been himself at all this week. He was either very quiet and reserved or he was high and wouldn't shut up. Right now he was quiet as he looked out the window. "Hey Kai, when is Bryan coming home?" She asked trying to start a conversation

Kai sighed and continued to look out the window. He ignored the sympathetic glace Tala gave him. "I don't know Liv, he's on a trip with my uncle right now. They didn't tell me how long they'd be" the crimson eyed boy answered. His eyes were starting to hurt from the contacts he wore to keep his natural eye colour hidden. Truth was, he wasn't even sure Bryan was still alive. He knew his uncle was still home but he wasn't allowed in the house.

"Cheer up Kai, maybe they'll bring you on the next trip? Or they'll bring you back a cool souvenir?" When the blue haired boy didn't answer, Olyvia took out her phone and texted Miriam. If these boys didn't cheer up a little it was going to be a long, very boring time at the mall. Why couldn't they just be excited, or even fake it. At this point she'd rather Kai was high, at least he'd be more fun.

The rest of the drive was quiet, Kai's thoughts on his brother and whether or not he was still alive. "So how come we're meeting up with Max?" Kai asked as Tala parked the car. He opened a bottle in his pocket and pulled out a few pills, taking them dry wanting to alleviate the anxiety that started to grow inside at the thought of seeing his friends he hadn't talked to since their first week of school. Not to mention Rei was with them, he only talked to the golden eyed boy when he had to in class. Everytime butterflies fluttered through his stomach.

Olyvia shrugged as the three of them got out of the car. She continued to text Miriam. "Because Miriam is with Emily? Which means Max and his friends are of course with them. Would you rather we didn't hang out with them. I just thought it would be fun. I know you're good friends with Max so I thought it would be okay." The small green haired girl walked next to Kai, entwining her fingers with his.

Tala followed obediently behind them, jealousy surging through him as Olyvia took Kai's hand. The only reason he was here was the promise he made to Bryan. He'd keep Kai said and keep an eye on him until Bryan got back. If and when he ever got back. Tala shook his head as he took a drag from the smoke in hand. No, Bryan was coming back. He'd be back soon.

"Where are we meeting them?" Tala asked coldly as they entered the mall. It was busy for a Thursday afternoon. Apparently the rest of the school had the same idea to go to the mall that day as well. He hated crowds, mostly because he felt people were constantly judging him on how he looked and appeared. It made him self conscious but he'd never show that. He would hold onto his fake confidence and act like the stares he felt he got didn't bother him.

"They're already at the food court. Thought we could get a snack before we start shopping. Have you thought anymore about what kind of outfit you want?" She asked Tala. She already knew what she was going to do for her and Kai.

Tala rolled his eyes. "I have no idea. Miriam can decide on the colours. Something simple" he mused, spotting the blonde haired boy before the other two. "They're over there" Tala pointed to a table near a small pizza restaurant. He could see Tyson already in line to order food.

The trio walked to join Max and his friends. Olyvia bounced away from Kai and Tala to meet her friends quicker than the two boys were walking.

"Hey!" Olyvia said excitedly as she sat down across from Miriam and Emily "so have you two thought more about the dance? Like what you're shopping for?"

Miriam smiles at her friend. She was always so energetic and when it came to shopping for clothes, Olyvia was the guru and could match anything. "I've thought a bit about it. I was thinking Tala and I contrast and he wears something darker, it'll bring out his eyes more" she smiled as the red head got to the table, sitting on the other side of Kai who took a seat beside Olyvia. Immediately heat rushed to her cheeks as she blushed "hi Tala"

Tala nodded "hey" he said quietly, about to say something more as Tyson and Hilary sat down, setting three pizzas in front of the group.

"Alright guys dig in! Those two are for you all, this ones mine. I barely ate at lunch and I'm starving!" Tyson exclaimed, taking a slice of pizza and nearly eating the whole slice in one bite

"Tyson, you ate two burgers and half of my fries. How can you possibly be hungry" Hilary chided as she picked up her own slice.

"Woah! Hey Kai, didn't think you'd be coming" Tyson said through a mouthful of pizza.

Kai took the smallest slice he could see "Uh yeah, Liv wants to make sure my shirt matches her dress for the dance." He said quietly, he felt awkward being around his old friends. He stole a quick glance to Max who hadn't said a word since he and Tala sat down.

"That's awesome man. You need to come by Max's sometime. He got that new fighter multiplayer game. I need some actual competition back" Tyson exclaimed, it bothered him that Kai had stopped hanging out with them but now that he was back he was going to act like nothing ever changed.

"I don't know Tyson, Kai may not want to play video games anymore" Max said quietly, still quite hurt about his friend abandoning them. He understood why but it still stung

Kai didn't answer as he went back to staring at his food. He missed his friends but keeping them safe was more important.

Silence fell over the table as everyone began to eat the pizza. Kai had barely touched the piece that he took, he really wasn't hungry but went through the motion to keep Tala off his back. He noticed Rei hadn't taken anything. "Are you not going to eat?" Kai asked more abruptly than he meant to. The pills were not fully in his system yet so he was still slightly on edge with the noise and crowds around them.

Rei looks up startled from staring intently at the table. He shook his head quickly. He didn't want to eat anything since he didn't have the money to pitch in for the meal. It wouldn't be fair "no, I'm fine. I can eat when I get home"

Kai rolled his eyes "with these girls leading the experience we're about to have, you're going to regret that decision. Eat something." He saw the guilty look in Rei's eyes as he eyed the food, he really was hungry. He didn't have lunch that day.

Rei sighed and nodded. He'd pay Hilary back once he got his first paycheck from his new job. He started at a restaurant not too far from his house. It was only bussing tables but it would help pay the bills.

Rei still was trying to figure out what to wear to this dance. The only reason he wanted to go was for a chance to talk to Kai. Over the past few days he noticed Kai would be more talkative and easy to hold a conversation with, judging by the blood shot eyes or displayed pupils it was usually when it was high. Rei could deal with that.

He just enjoyed being around the blue haired boy and wondered if he could convince him to even have a dance. The golden eyed boy inwardly rolled his eyes. Yeah right, there was no way someone like Kai would think of dancing with a guy like him. He had a reputation to uphold plus he wasn't gay either.

"So are you guys ready to start shopping?" Hilary asked once everyone had eaten their fill. "We've got a lot of ground to cover and we need to make sure we all look perfect. With being on the dance committee I won't settle for anything less than perfect. So I think we should follow a colour scheme. Bright, fun colours to match the school theme"

Hilary stood up and helped clear the garbage away with Emily "That sounds so cute! Do we all want to find things together or are we splitting up?" She asked, taking control of the situation.

"Why don't we sort of do our own thing? We know what the theme is and we can see what we can find. Then maybe meet up in a couple hours and see what we've come up with?" Miriam suggested. She looked across the table at Tala "Does that work for you?"

Tala nodded, he really didn't care what they did. "That's fine. I want to go outside first. I can meet you guys somewhere?" He offered. Kai would be fine through the mall with the annoying green haired girl

"I'll come with you" Miriam suggested, just wanting to spend time with Tala. We can find Liv and Kai after if that works for you?"

Tala stood up and threw one of the trays of garbage out "Sure, that's fine. Text me what store you go to Kai" He said before he and Miriam began to walk to the closest mall exit.

"Well then why don't the boys go their own way and we'll go ours? Max and Kai can help Tyson find something not too ridiculous. Maybe help Rei out to?" Emily suggested as everyone started to stand and get ready to shop.

Tyson grinned "Awe c'mon Em. I've got the best fashion sense out of all these guys. I'll help them out to get the best suits out there!"

Olyvia rolled her eyes and ignored the blue haired teen as she looked at Kai. She smiled "Make sure you get something that matches with a pale purple. I think that's what I'm going to look for"

Kai nodded "I'll do my best," He already knew he was going to go with a black suit and just match the dress shirt to Olyvia's dress.

Max gave Emily a quick kiss and everyone went their separate ways. This was one of the times Max was grateful that Tyson would talk to anyone and keep conversations going. He wasn't sure how he was going to talk to Kai but he needed to today. This was the only time his brother and Tala had left him alone in the past few weeks. Max needed answers.

The four boys walked along and headed into one of Tyson and Max's favourite clothing stores. It wasn't overly expensive but not cheap either. It was quite affordable and they thought they could get something nice here that their girlfriends would approve of.

"Hey Max! What do you think of this one!" Tyson called his friend over while he looked at suits on a sales rack. He pulled out a Lemon yellow suit with a dark blue dress shirt

Max's eyes widened in horror "Are you trying to get Hilary to kill you? Like the colour scheme is fine but why don't we try and find it reversed so it's not so vibrant?" Max tried and laughed a little at how horrible his eccentric friend's taste was. The blonde walked over the sales rack to help Tyson find a better choice that his girlfriend would approve of.

"So uhm, do you see anything you like?" Rei asked Kai as he flipped through dress shirts against the back wall of the store. He couldn't afford any of these but was going through the motions to make it look like he was interested. He was glad to be included.

Kai shook his head "Not really, Liv doesn't want me to get anything from here. I have a suit at home that I'll probably wear. What about you?" Kai asked, watching Rei sort through the clothes "Anything you like? What about this" The taller teen handed Rei a deep red dress shirt that had a light grey vest over top." It matched that headband you always wear.

Rei blushed slightly, he was impressed that Kai noticed the little things like the colour of his headband. He didn't have his usual one on that day and instead just had all his hair pulled back into a slightly higher ponytail. "Uh yeah, that looks nice." He took the shirt from Kai and held it up in front of him. "I think it looks okay?"

Kai chuckled and shook his head "You can't tell like that. You have to actually try it on" Kai took Rei's wrist "C'mon, looks like Max has Tyson trying on something too. You can ask them how it looks." He felt more relaxed now that he was with his old friends again, even with Rei whom he barely knew.

The black haired boy's heart skipped a beat and he felt his face flush as Kai's hand wrapped around him. He couldn't speak and just allowed Kai to guide him through the store to the change rooms. Kai pushed Rei into an empty stall "Come out when you get it on so we can see it" He said, shutting the door and walking over to Max, becoming more tense as he realized he hadn't spoken a word to Max since Kenny's funeral.

Max was leaning against the wall near the change rooms, waiting for Tyson to try on the full outfit he had helped the boy pick. He looked up as Kai walked over to stand beside him. Kai nodded an acknowledgement and stood beside him, crossing his arms in front of his chest. The two stayed in an uncomfortable silence, neither of them knowing what to say to the other.

"Uhm can we talk about something?" Max finally said, breaking the silence between the two of them.

Kai looked up from the floor, raising an eyebrow at his blonde friend "Yeah? What did you want to talk about?" he asked, curious what they could have to talk about. He hoped Rei and Tyson would come out of the change rooms soon.

Max hesitated for a second. Was he really going to ask these sort of questions out in the open. Did he want the answers that badly? "Why didn't Bryan kill me after he killed Kenny" he blurted out

The taller teen was taking back. He froze and quickly looked around to make sure no one else had heard what the blonde had said "I- I know don't know what you're talking about" Kai answered in a hushed tone, feeling more uncomfortable.

"Please don't lie to me Kai. I need to know this. It's been eating at me ever since Kenny died. I know Bryan had something to do with Kenny's death. I was with Kenny when he showed me the articles on his laptop and Bryan showed up. I've never seen such a look of fear in your brother's eyes when he saw what was on the laptop. I didn't have a chance to see but it's something that scared him"

Kai let out a long sigh "Just...stop being so loud." the boy closed his eyes and thought about how to tell his friend what he wanted to hear. He opened his eyes and was about to talk when Tyson busted out of the change room

"Guys what do you think! I look damn good huh?" Tyson stated as he strutted down the small hallway, showing off a navy coloured suit that had a bright yellow shirt underneath. He had snuck a bright red tie in with him when Max wasn't looking "So?"

Max looked at Kai before looking back at Tyson "It looks great Tyson. I don't think the red matches the yellow though. It looks like you have ketchup smeared on your shirt.

Tyson grinned "Dude that's the point! It's like a mustard and ketchup shirt. It's great!"

Max grinned and laughed while shaking his head "I guess it does look alright. What do you think Kai?"

Kai shrugged. "I think it would look better if it didn't have the tie." he stated matter of factly. It looked ridiculous but so did Tyson most of the time. It did suit his personality perfectly.

The blue haired boy grinned again. "Hey how's Rei making out?" he asked and knocked on the door he assumed their new friend was in

"I'm doing okay Tyson" Rei answered as he walked out of the room beside the one that Tyson was knocking on. He had on the outfit Kai had handed him. It actually looked really good, he thought to himself. Even the jeans he had on could work with the dress shirt and vest. It was formal, but still slightly casual which Rei liked. "What do you guys think?" He asked Max and Kai.

Max smiled "It really looks good on you. You have a great sense of fashion."

Kai nodded "I picked it out for him. You should get it." butterflies fluttered in his chest at how good Rei looked in the outfit. It looked amazing on him and fit him perfectly, must better than the oversized shirts he always seemed to wear. "It does look really good"

Rei blushed. He wasn't sure if it was from embarrassment over the fact he knew he couldn't afford the outfit, or at Kai's compliment. "Uh thanks guys. I'm going to change back, maybe there will be something else I like better" he said and disappeared back into his change room.

Tyson followed suit and went back to his room to get changed as well. That was the quickest he'd ever found something he liked and something he knew Hilary would approve of. This was the suit for him.

Once the two boys had disappeared, Max took the opportunity to continue his conversation with Kai. He was so close to getting an answer out of him "Can you please tell me?" he asked once again

Kai let out a frustrated sigh. Why couldn't Tala show up and help him out of this. He'd already texted Tala with which store they were in, why wasn't he here yet. "I- I don't know...I asked him not to hurt you but I didn't think he'd actually listen. We got into a huge fight over it after Kenny's funeral. I don't know what changed his mind because he was set on hurting you to…" Kai finally replied. He hoped the response was enough for his blonde friend.

"I still don't understand. I'm right, though, aren't I?" The blue eyed boy hadn't been a hundred percent confident that the lavender haired boy had killed one of his best friends. Kai not denying it happening only solidified and confirmed his thoughts "Why would he do that?"

Kai rubbed the back of his neck and looked at the ceiling, focusing on the lights above. "I...I can't explain it, Max. It's to keep you safe. Can we drop this please?" he begged

Max nodded. This was more information than he thought he could possibly get. It made him even more confused. "So if I want to know more I need to go through Kenny's laptop?"

Kai raised his eyebrow. He was sure Bryan had destroyed the laptop. "What do you mean? The laptop is gone."

The blond hesitated before answering, crossing his arms in front of him and avoiding looking at Kai "What if i said Kenny gave me his laptop before he went to meet Bryan, he took my old one with him…"

Kai's eyes widened. The laptop still existed. That meant the information about him and Bryan was still out there, someone could find out about them "What!" He looked around again, terrified that someone would hear them. Again, there was no one around "Please say your lying"

Max bit his lip, he saw the fear on Kai's face. Maybe he shouldn't have said anything about the laptop. "I-" He was cut off by Tyson once again barging out of the change room

"Alright guys, Hilary called me while I was changing. She said that her and the girls are ready to see what we've come up with. I told them to give us a bit more time since Max and Kai hadn't found anything. Hey you guys okay?" He noticed the uncomfortable look between the two boys waiting for him and Rei.

Kai nodded "Yeah, we're fine. I already have an outfit so let's find something for Max once Rei gets out" He said and looked towards the change room the golden eyed boy was in

Rei was leaning with his back against the door of his change room. He had heard the conversation between Max and Kai and wanted to hear the rest of it before he exited the room. He'd changed quickly and had just been standing, waiting. He knew it wasn't right to eavesdrop but this was important information. He had learned that Kai's insane brother was the reason the Kenny kid was dead. The boy he had a crush on had a murderer for a brother and he was dating his mom!

"Yo Rei! Hurry up man. We gotta pay for this stuff and meet the girls soon" Tyson called, this time knocking on the right door.

The black haired boy opened the door, his shirt and vest hanging back on the hanger "I uhm, I have to think about getting this. I don't get paid until next week so if it's still here I'll get it right before the dance." the boy explained as the four of them started to walk up to the checkout counter.

"What if it's not here next week! Then what are you going to wear?" Tyson asked as he placed his outfit on the counter, giving the worker his phone number for the rewards program.

Rei sighed and shook his head "It's fine Tyson. I'll find something else then." he set his items on the counter, letting the other checkout person know he wouldn't be purchasing the outfit.

Kai rolled his eyes and pulled out his wallet. He wanted Rei to have that outfit. It looked perfect on him. If he couldn't afford it why didn't he just ask one of them to spot him the money. It wasn't that big of a deal. "I got it" He muttered and pushed Rei aside so he could buy the shirt and vest

"No, Kai you're not buying it. It's fine I don't need it" Rei muttered. He wasn't a charity case and didn't need people buying him things. He was raised better then that.

The slate haired boy ignored Rei and paid for the shirt and vest, shoving the bag in Rei's chest when it was handed back to him "To late" He said and started walking out of the store

Max smirked "I know it's hard to accept money from people, but it doesn't mean anything to Kai. They've got more money than they know what to do with. He does this all the time. He paid for a game system for Tyson once and he's bought me a skateboard too."

"It's still not right though. I didn't ask him to buy this for me…"

"You didn't have to. You could see the look on your face that you wanted it. He's not very good with words but he shows his friendship through actions. He'll feel insulted if you try to return it or give it back to" Max explained as they followed Kai and Tyson out of the store.

Rei could only nod. It was weird for him to accept things from others. He appreciated the gesture but would have to pay Kai back eventually. No one did anything for free.

The four boys continued on their shopping escapade, meeting up with the girls, Miriam and Tala later on. They all showed off what they had bought and the boys had impressed the girls with their choices. They all continued to walk around the mall and shop for a few more hours, the Olyvia and Hilary wanting accessories to go with their new dresses.


	7. Chapter 7

Rei stood in front of the mirror inspecting his outfit for the evening. He was wearing the shirt and vest that Kai had bought him the previous week as well as the nicest pair of jeans he owned. He knew they weren’t the most formal of pants but it was the best he owned and he wasn’t about to mention the fact he didn’t own any formal wear. It was a luxury that he couldn’t afford. Who needed clothing they only wore for certain occasions? It had always seemed like a waste to him. 

Adjusting the red headband he was wearing, Rei took one final look at himself in the mirror. Kai was right, the headband matched the shirt perfectly. Rei pulled down on the vest, it was a feeling he wasn't used to as the clothing was more fitted than anything else he owned. He took one more look at himself before he decided that his look was good enough for the night to come. 

Rei opened the door and stepped out of the bathroom in Max’s living room. The group had decided they would all get together at Max's house since it was his mom’s van that they would be taking to the school dance. He was the only one of the three with his driver’s license. “So what do you think?” He asked Tyson as he walked over to join his friend who was waiting for him to finish. The rest of the gang was in Max’s basement enjoying a few drinks and games before the evening began. 

Tyson was wearing the navy suit with the lemon yellow dress shirt he had picked out the other day. Hilary had made him return the red tie saying that it was overboard and his attire didn’t need that much extra colour. Rei and Max were positive it was because it looked ridiculous with the outfit. “Damn, looks good on you man. Kai sure knows how to pick clothes.” He joked and walked towards his friend, taking a sip on the beer in hand. “Where’s the tie that goes with it?” He asked, handing Rei a drink. 

The taller boy took the drink, he normally didn’t consume alcohol because Candace always said it would affect his medication. A drink or two couldn’t possibly affect them that much. He opened the beer can and took his own sip, scrunching his nose at the taste. How did people actually like this shit? He thought to himself then remembered Tyson had asked him a question. Rei reached into the back pocket of his jeans. “Here. I uh… couldn’t figure out how to tie is right” the boy blushed, embarrassed. 

Tyson smirks “It’s all good man, here I’ll help you out.” The other boy took the silk fabric and situated it around his own neck, expertly tying the slip knot before pulling it over his head. “No need to be embarrassed, you’d be surprised the amount of guys that don’t know how to tie these things. My brother Hiro has to wear a tie every day for work and has no idea how to do it.” He handed the fabric back to Rei, who slipped it over his head, tightening it how he thought it should be. 

“Thanks.” Rei replied and turned to go back to the bathroom to check himself again, Tyson followed “So where did you learn to do this? You don’t seem like you’d ever need to know this”

The shorter boy turned Rei so he was facing him “Hold on” He adjusted Rei’s collar so the tie was under it before flattening it back down and tucking the tie under Rei’s vest. “When Hiro couldn’t figure it out I thought I’d learn so I could help him. Plus it was pretty cool to be able to do something my brother couldn’t” Tyson replied with a grin. “All his ties are tied and hanging on a hook so he doesn’t have to mess with them. Just toss them over his head and he’s good to go. There, now take a look” He turned Rei back to look in the mirror

Rei blushed again with more embarrassment “Guess it’s pretty obvious I don’t dress up much eh?” He took another long drink from his beer, maybe it would help take the edge off of the nerves that we’re starting to kick up. 

“Hey man it doesn’t matter. Who needs to dress up. I do this for Hil cause she loves dressing up and it’s the least I can do for her. C’mon let's head downstairs and hang out with the others before we have to go.” 

“Sure, uhm I’ll be right down. Max told me to toss my bag in his room when I was done getting ready. I’ll meet you down there?” 

Tyson shrugged “Yeah sure” he left Rei upstairs and made it to join his girlfriend and friends. 

Rei waited until Tyson had left before going back to the bathroom for the third time and grabbing his bag off the floor, he tossed his brush and clothes inside. As Rei walked into his blonde friend’s room he thought about the conversation he had overheard between Kai and Max when they had all gone shopping. Apparently there was this laptop that held important information. It was obviously something about Bryan or even his brother if he had secretly killed a kid over it. 

Setting his bag on the floor beside the bed, Rei took a quick glance around the room. He felt a tinge of guilt over the thoughts in his mind. I wonder if I can find the laptop. He knew there was something about Kai and his much older brother that set them apart from everyone else. Rei was determined to find out what it was. Now if I were hiding a laptop, where would I put it.

“Hey Rei? Did you get lost or something?” a shrill voice called from the hallway. 

Dark hair peaked out of the bedroom “Wha? Sorry, my mom called. She was just checking in and making sure she wasn’t expecting me home tonight” Rei answered as he walked out of the room to see Hilary in the kitchen taking out a couple food trays from the fridge “Did you want some help?” 

“That would be great,” The brown haired girl answered. She was wearing a pale pink cocktail dress and had her hair curled lightly and pinned away from her face. She handed Rei two of the trays “Are you having fun?” She asked as the two made their way back to the basement. 

“Yeah, it’s been a lot of fun. You guys are great. Thanks again for inviting me out with you” he replied politely. The two walked down the stairs and proceeded to set the trays on a round table in the center of the room 

The basement was made into a perfect teenage cave. There was a pool table on one side, across from it sat a ten person sectional couch that cut the room in half. It wrapped around to corner off part of the room, in the corner sat a large TV with a game system attached. 

The teens had come to gather around the food, all of them with some sort of drink in hand. Emily picked up a carrot stick and took a bite. She was wearing a light green and white dress, her orange hair in it’s signature style with a bow on the left side. She matched Max’s outfit of a darker green dress shirt with black dress pants. “So Miriam just texted me, apparently Tala is driving her and Liv to the dance in Bryan’s Camaro!” She said excitedly. 

Tyson walked over to the food table, he draped his arm around her and gave her a kiss, the alcohol giving his cheeks a soft pink glow. His jacket had already been taken off and was thrown across the back of the couch and the sleeves of his shirt pushed up to his elbows. “Shit, what do I have to do to get a ride in the camaro? That thing's a dream. I bet it just purrs and shifts so smoothly." He fantasized about the expensive machine. He was a huge vehicle fanatic. 

Rei took a sip of his drink, and cringed at the taste before chugging the rest of it back. He had hoped it would make it taste even slightly better. It didn’t. “It's real smooth." he said, his eyes widening as he realized that he just admitted to being in the car. How was he going to explain himself? Tyson's attention shifted over to Rei. Rei could feel the bombardment of Tyson's inquiries approaching. 

“Dude! You got a ride in it!” Tyson completely forgot about his girlfriend and walked back over to Rei. He was consumed by what his friend had claimed.

“Tell me all about it! Is it like riding a nimbus cloud? What kind of engine does it have? Has he upgraded any of the features…Man of course he has. The guy is fucking loaded!”

Rei stopped listening as Tyson went on and on about the car. Rei had already said too much about Bryan's vehicle and he really didn't want to talk about why he would've ridden with him. " I don't know. It's a red car that has a loud engine. I don't know much of anything else about it. He brought me home after Kai and I were done working on our assignment a couple weeks ago.” he lied. He was not about to admit to Bryan dating his mom. No way. Although he loved the car and shared Tyson’s infatuation with the vehicle, he didn't want to leave the discussion to drone on. 

Tyson seemed fed up and shook his head, throwing his hands in the air. “Man what kinda guy are you! How could you not ask questions about that piece of art. You love cars too I thought?"

Max laughed. He loved his best friend's unmatched energetic enthusiasm. “Tyson leave Rei alone, not everyone is as obsessed as you are with cars. You know you could always talk to Bryan about it. He’s like best friends with Hiro. Plus, if you don’t know him, Bryan can be a scary dude. Give him a break.” Max scolded Tyson.

Hilary looked at her boyfriend as he continued to babble about the car.“you could just ask to sit in it?” She suggested. “Can you put your jacket back on babe? We have to get going. I’d like to see how well they committee set up the gym, plus I need to monitor the ballots for the Candy King and Queen.”

Tyson groaned at the thought of having to wear the warm jacket. “I guess so.” he finished the drink in his hand and walked over the couch, pushing his sleeves down as he walked. He picked the jacket up and put on, doing up the bottom few buttons. Still mumbling about how lucky Rei was to have gotten a ride in Bryan's camaro along the way.

“Are we good to go?” He started recruiting the group to leave and gathering their things.  
Hilary shook her head. Her boyfriend never seemed to recognize the need for formality.  
“You're not wearing your hat Tyson. This is a dance.” 

Tyson smirked handsomely. “Of course I am Hil'. It's a part of me. My personality. A trademark! No one will know who I am if I don't." There was no point in arguing with him. 

“Alright well let's get going then.” Hilary loved that her boyfriend was a free spirit, she knew she couldn't control him, and she was fine with that.

The five teens put their shoes on then headed outside and got into Max’s mom’s minivan so they could go to the school dance. Before heading out the door, Tyson closed the distance between himself and Rei and shoved an unopened beer inside his jacket's inner pocket. It was cold on Rei's abdomen, but the loose threads he wore hid it well. 

___________________________

Miriam was driving Olyvia to meet up with Kai and Tala at their house. She had been surprised to find out that that was where they were going. She had almost expected the boys to pick the two of them up on the way “Are you sure this is the right way? Have you been there before” the blue haired girl questioned her friend. The boys didn’t seem like the type to have people over. 

“Of course I’ve been there. Kai and I have had to get together to do a few art projects and since his uncle is never home, he always insisted that we went to his place.” The green haired girl replied. “It’s that driveway at the end of this street” she instructed her friend. 

Miriam’s eyes widened as she turned her small white car into the driveway. “How do you get in? Do we buzz them?” She asked, pulling up in front of a massive iron gate. 

“Yeah hit the buzzer there” Olyvia pointed across Miriam to a barely visible button and speaker. Her friend did as she was told and Olyvia told the voice who she was and who she was meeting. Moments later the gate opened and Miriam drove through, the gate closing behind them.

Green eyes widened again with surprise at the size of the house. She had never seen a house this big and assumed they had only existed for celebrities. Everyone knew the boys had money, but Miriam had never imagined they would have this kind of money “This is actually where they live?” 

Olyvia shook her head. “Nah, turn down there.” she said pointing to another driveway off the main one. “They live in the guest house at the back of the property.”

Miram turned the car where Olyvia pointed and continued to drive. “So who’s house is this again?” she asked, still in awe over the size of the mansion. As she got closer to the guest house, she was equally surprised by the size of it.

“Kai’s uncle owns it. He goes away on business like all the time and the guys stay back here. No idea why. That house looks amazing and I don’t get why you’d want to live in something half the size.” the green haired girl explained as her friend parked her car. “Tala stays here a lot too. I guess his parents are never home either. I think he has his own room and everything.”

Miriam was stunned as she got out of the car and slammed the door. She stood in front of her car, nerves working their way through her stomach. She was actually going to Tala’s house. She started to fumble nervously with the bottom of her jacket. Did she look all right? Her long blue hair was curled and piled high on her head, curls cascading down her back and around her shoulders. She wore a deep red dress that fit her curvaceous body and rested mid thigh. She had on dark chocolate heeled boots that climbed to her knees. Olyvia had said she looked amazing and normally she trusted her fashionista friend. But this time she was nervous. 

Taking a deep breath, Miriam followed Olyvia up the steps to the house. Her small friend was in a deep forest green dress that off set her green hair. Her pixie cut hair laid perfectly around her face. Miriam had thought she would get a second to catch her breath before they went inside. She was sadly mistaken as Olyvia proceeded to open the door as if she lived there herself. Miriam hesitated before following after her, closing the door behind her. 

The house inside wasn’t as grand as it looked like from the outside. They walked into a small foyer that led into an open concept living room and kitchen. A TV larger than any she had ever seen was mounted to a wall on her right, a surround sound system hooked up to it as well as a variety of game systems and other electronics. A very plush, comfortable looking leather couch and matching chairs rested in front of it. On the other side of the room was the kitchen. With it’s black and silver marble top counters and black matching cupboards, it looked to be any chef's dream, other than the fact there were dishes piled in the sink and a variety of take out containers littering the counter space. It was obviously a home in which three teenage boys lived. 

Olyvia looked around the house. None of the boys were present. “Kai?” She called as she walked deeper into the house. Miriam stayed slightly behind her, stopping near the kitchen island not wanting to invade the boys personal space. 

The bathroom door opened, steam escaping through the door. Olyvia and Miriam looked over, hoping it was one of the boys they were looking for. Bryan raised an eyebrow as he walked out of the bathroom, skin gleaming from the water that was dripping from his hair, nothing on except a white towel wrapped low on his waist. 

Miriam couldn’t help but stare. She was terrified of the lavender haired teen but she could still appreciate the body. He had muscles for days on a body so toned even Zac Efron would have been jealous. What caught her off guard was the amount of scars and fresh cuts and bruises covering every inch of visible skin. Some looked extremely painful, she also saw many stitched over his skin as well. She knew he hadn’t been at school for the past couple week but she wasn’t expecting this. What had happened to him? She was curious but would never ask. 

“Don’t you know it’s rude to just enter someone’s home uninvited” Green eyes glared at the girls. He didn’t seem to care that they were looking at him. He walked towards them to the kitchen, ignoring them as he walked to the fridge. Bryan reached into the cupboard above the fridge and muttered something to himself before closing the door empty handed. “Dammit Kai!” he called before saying something else in a different language that the girls couldn’t understand. Miriam was sure it was Russian or German. She wasn’t completely sure. 

“Where’s Kai?” Olyvia demanded, annoyed with the older boy’s tone. Bryan didn’t scare her, he was just a bully who acted tough. “And what happened to you? Lose a fight with a meat grinder?” she asked, raising her eyebrow and crossing her arms over her chest. 

Bryan rolled his eyes and glanced down. He had forgotten that he was only wearing a towel. The drugs more potent in his system then he originally thought. “Something like that” He muttered, leaning against the counter. “Kai’s in his room getting ready. So chill out” 

Olyvia was taken back by the tone Bryan was using on her. He had never talked to her like this before, nor could she recall him ever talking like this. If he was in a bad mood in the past he just didn’t talk or stayed in his room. He was usually quiet relaxed and sarcastic with her. The green haired girl stayed quiet beside her taller friend “I- is...is he coming?” she asked, stuttering over her words. 

“You shouldn’t be out here” a deeper, femine voice chided. Tala walked into the room from the far side of the kitchen. He scowled at Bryan “Shouldn’t you be at least wearing pants?” He asked before turning to the girls. He smiled nervously at Miriam. “Sorry about him. He’s not normally like this.” he said, apologizing for Bryan’s behaviour. “Can you go to your room or something?” 

Bryan rolls his eyes “My house, pretty sure I can be where ever I want” He let out a long sigh before leaning off the counter “Fine, but I need to talk to you before you guys go” he muttered, departing without a second glance at the girls. 

“So what happened to him?” Olyvia asked again once Bryan was out of the room 

Tala sighed “He got in an accident” keeping the response simple. “Liv you know where the drinks are. I’m sorry you had to see that Miriam. I just have to get Kai and we can leave okay?” He felt embarrassed and judged by the blue haired girl. This was why he wanted him and Kai to pick the girls up. They didn’t need to see Bryan like this and he could tell how uncomfortable Miriam looked 

“It’s okay Tala. I’m sure he’s in a lot of pain. His mood is justified. And he was right, we did sort of barge in here” She said, glaring over at her petite friend who didn’t appear to notice. “Take your time, we’re early anyways.”

Tala smiled “Thank you” He left the girls alone before walking down the hallway opposite of the way he came. He gave a quick knock on Kai’s door before walking in, not caring what state of dress his friend was in.

“What the hell!” Kai exclaimed, surprised by Tala entering the room. He had on his black Armani brand suit. The only colour on the outfit was a bright red tie. Kai had chosen the tie to be the same colour as Rei’s shirt. He knew Olyvia would think it was just complimenting her outfit.

“Are you drunk?” Tala said, closing the door behind him. This was turning into one of the nights where living with the brothers was more of a chore than anything. He spotted the bottle on the bedside table. “Bryan was looking for that…” he muttered, recalling the russian that the Lavender haired man had called to his brother. Tala didn’t know much, but over the years he had picked up enough words to mostly understand the brothers. 

“Just a little…” Kai shrugged and went to grab the bottle for another drink, only to have Tala beat him to it. “What the fuck” 

“You don’t need anymore.” The red head let out a frustrated sigh. If he didn’t have PTSD from his father’s drinking, he swore that the boys would drive him to drink. But he’d never follow in his father’s footsteps, therefore never taking even a sip of alcohol. He was afraid that even a taste would drive him to the addiction his father had. “Will you just go and stay with the girls in the kitchen? I have to get the keys from Bryan and then we can go.” 

Kai nodded. He wasn’t even that drunk. Just had a good, healthy buzz going on to curb the anxiety of having to be around so many people for the next few hours. “Yeah, fine” He left his room, Tala behind him and went towards the kitchen. Tala continued down the hallway towards Bryan’s room. 

“What's up girls?” Kai slurred and grinned as he walked into the kitchen. He gave Olyvia a quick kiss on the cheek before leaning on the counter beside her. The two girls had taken seats around the kitchen island. 

“What the hell?” Olyvia blurted out when she looked at Kai’s eyes “Are you wearing contacts?” Her heart sank as she could already smell the alcohol on his breath. Just once, she’d like to go to one of these events with Kai and not have him inebriated. 

Kai looked away, he had forgotten that he hadn’t put his contacts in. They changed his eyes from the offputting glowing red to the dark brown they usually appeared. “Thought it’d be funny, they sort of match my tie” he tried and saw the slightly frightened look on the small girls face “Fine...I’ll take them out before we go”

Olyvia smiled “They don’t look awful, just surprised me that’s all. Why don’t you save them for the halloween party? They’ll look great there” she said, not realizing her comment actually hurt the slate haired teen. She watched her best friend turn without a word to go back to his room and remove the contacts. 

“I didn’t think they looked bad?” Miriam said to Olyvia as Kai walked away. She had thought they looked pretty sweet. She admired the confidence the boy had to be willing to wear something so unnatural. She wished she sometimes had the same confidence. 

Olyvia let out a small sigh “I didn’t mean it like that. I think I hurt his feelings.” She felt bad now and hoped this wouldn’t ruin their night. It was already taking a turn for the worst with him being drunk. 

Tala leaned against the closed door in Bryan’s room. The older one had at least put shorts on before Tala had gotten there “I asked you if you were going to be an ass to please stay away from the girls. I’m trying to make a good impression on Miriam and I think you just blew it for me” He accused. 

Bryan was sitting on the floor, leaning against his bed, one knee pulled up to his chest with his arm draped over it. He looked up at Tala, eyes slightly glazed over “I said I was sorry. How was I supposed to know they were just going to waltz right in like they owned the place?” 

“Oh I don’t know. Maybe because Olyvia has been doing just that for the past two years? And you just walked out there in a towel no less, looking like this” he shot back. “Now get up and let me put the antibiotics on your back…”

The boy on the floor raised his eyebrow “You know I can’t actually get infections right?” he said, taking a drink out of the vodka bottle Tala had taken from Kai’s room. 

“You also can’t get drunk, yet you keep trying. Plus your wounds aren’t healing as fast as they should be. You’ve been home for three days and they still look the same” Tala observed as Bryan finally stood so the red head could help him. 

“I like the taste” Bryan countered, jerking away as Tala went to rub some of the antibiotic cream on the worst cut on his back. It was red and very swollen, the stitches stretched as it held the wound closed. “It’s just a side effect of the new shit Boris is trying” 

“Is that why you're higher than a plane right now?” 

“Nope, that would be the morphine I took to deal with the pain that isn’t actually supposed to be there anymore. So clearly Boris’s new serum doesn’t actually work” 

“And it has nothing to do with the condition your body is in right now” Tala muttered sarcastically. “Are you ever going to tell us what happened to you and what you did to piss your uncle off this much?”

Bryan took another long drink of the clear liquid “I already told you, I got in an accident.” he wasn’t about to share the lovely experience he had dealt with for 10 days. 

Tala didn’t say anything more as he finished applying to ointment to Bryan’s wounds. Once finished he capped the tube and set it on Bryan’s dresser “Just be careful. You're starting to use some pretty strong drugs to deal with the pain. Even you can get addicted. 

“Thank’s Dr. Phil. I’ll take that into account when this is all over. Oh wait. It’s never going to end.” He reached behind him for his jacket, pulling out the car keys from the jean pockets. “Just take the car along with your boyfriend and your fake girlfriend and go enjoy being a normal teenage boy for a change.” He paused for a moment, giving Tala and intense glare “Keep and eye on him okay?”

Ice blue eyes rolled as Tala caught the keys that Bryan threw at him. “He’s not my boyfriend. You’ve made sure of that.” Putting the keys into his pocket Tala walked out of the bedroom, closing the door behind him. Bryan had come back from his uncle’s house very different. And he wasn’t just because of the wounds that covered his body. Boris had done something to Bryan to cause him to shut down even more than he already had. 

Tala walked into the kitchen where the girls waited. He smiled weakly at the navy haired girl. "Hi. again. You look really nice tonight." Tala wasn't experienced with dating, but he was fairly confident he could conduct himself the way he should to impress her. He knew she had a crush on him. It was adorable. He needed to feel wanted again.

Miriam blushed and smiled back. “Thank you. You look very good yourself. The outfit suits you. You're a dapper chap." She regretted saying that. Tala's face burned as he glanced at the suit and nodded. 

“Thanks. I picked it out myself. Uh so you guys ready to go?” He swung himself so he would be facing the exit. He didn't want to be teased by them for blushing. He felt comfortable as he was, which was rare for him.

“I think Kai is just taking out contacts he put in? I don't know.” She answered, sounding more like she was asking a question. Tala stopped himself from questioning what she had said, remembering he must have forgotten to cover his supernatural eyes. 

Kai returned moments later, donning his dark brown eyes “So are you guys ready to go?” he asked, walking past them towards the door to put his shoes on. 

Olyvia walked beside Miriam as they went outside. Her mood had drastically dropped and she wasn't sure she even wanted to go to the dance anymore. Miriam was talking with Tala and she was happy for her friend. She had had a crush on the red head since they started high school. Olyvia had asked Kai to talk to Bryan about using the Camaro because she knew how much of a car fanatic Miriam was and that she would love to ride in it.

Miriam saw the car the four of them were walking towards “Is this what we’re taking?” she asked excitedly. How did they manage to convince the grump inside to use his most prized possession. 

Tala blushed and smiled “Yeah. I hope it’s okay. Liv mentioned that you liked cars and envied this one. Bryan said it was fine we use it as long as I don’t scratch it.” 

The green eyed girl beamed as she looked it over. It was beautiful. She texted Emily quickly to tell her the best thing about her night so far. Her friend would be happy for her “Thank you! This is really great. You didn’t have to do that for me”

“Well after the rough start you had to our night, I wanted to make it up to you. I promise Bryan isn’t usually like that. He’s really a great guy” Tala felt the need to defend his friend. He started the car and the four of them took off towards the dance. Tala was nervous, but he thought this night was going to go well. Miriam seemed very happy to be with him and he could be happy with her. He could share her feelings and start to like her as much as she liked him. He didn’t need Kai to be happy. 

The cruise toward the school was deafeningly silent. Kai and Olyvia had not uttered a word while they sat in the backseat. Miriam chattered with Tala about the ride and Tala had few answers to her questions, but he appreciated her company. He occasionally glared at Kai in the mirror above him. He could tell Olyvia was annoyed. Kai leaned and stared out the window, his hand supporting his heavy head. The red-head figured he’d have to have a talk with Kai about his drinking before they got into the dance. The other boy probably had no idea how much it hurt Olyvia for him to act like this. 

Tala hoped for just one night where he could focus on himself. Without Bryan around, he was on babysitting duty. Tala was wary of how Kai would handle an event like this one, especially considering how much he had consumed and how little he ate. Tala was frustrated he had to take care of the boy he yearned for. It was difficult when he'd been ordered to ignore his feelings. Tala wished Kai was his date, but only for a fraction of a second. Miriam was beautiful, interested in him and most notably, happy being sober.

Once at the school, Tala parked the car and opened the passenger side for Miriam “Why don't you and Liv head inside. Kai and I will meet you there.” he said, planning to talk to the bluenette before they got inside like he had decided to on the way there.

"Okay, I'll grab you a drink Tal." She gestured to her friend to make their way into the dance. Miriam didn't know why she was advised to go into the school early, she assumed it was because Tala would want a cigarette before going inside. He was a gentleman and wouldn’t smoke around her. Even when they had been at the mall and he wanted to go out for one and she joined him, he had changed his mind and said he’d wait. The two of them just started to shop, enjoying the time they had alone. 

Once they were out of sight, Tala stormed off toward their tree in the yard and pulled a full pack of cigarettes from his jacket. Kai followed along behind Tala, wondering why the other was walking away so quickly. “Is there a reason you’re dragging me out here?” Kai asked when they finally stopped walking, at the tree they usually spent their lunch hour.

Tala remained quiet as he lit a cigarette, taking a long drag before talking “Do you actually care about Olyvia? Even slightly?” he spat, unable to hide his annoyance. 

“What are you talking about? Of course I care about her. She’s my best friend other than you.” Kai wasn’t sure where this conversation was going, but he didn’t really want to stay and find out. 

“Then why don’t you fucking start acting like it? Start acting like you give a shit about the people who care about you and start treating them like they mean something.” Tala’s voice was rising. He’d been holding this frustration in for weeks now, it building more as the days went on. He didn’t like Olyvia but that didn’t mean he could continue to stand by why she continued to care for Kai in her own strange way and have the blue haired boy act like it was nothing. 

Kai rolled his eyes. He didn’t understand why Tala was yelling at him. He didn’t do anything to the red head. Tala was the one that up and called off their relationship like it meant nothing. “You’re one to fucking talk. What about us? We were together for years and then one day you decide to say fuck all of a sudden? Call things off without any reason at all?” 

Tala froze and took another drag from his smoke. He hadn’t expected Kai to throw that at him. It had only been the week before where he had quickly left Kai’s room when they were about to have sex. He looked at the smoke he slowly exhaled from his lungs, watching the tendrils rise and dissipate in the air, thinking of how to answer the other. “There was a reason Kai…” he paused, carefully thinking if he should tell Kai the truth or not. He deserved to know at least half the truth, he didn’t need to know about what Boris would do to him. 

“Well then what is it!” Kai demanded. He was frustrated with how Tala treated him. It was much the same way Bryan treated him. Like he was fragile and a child and couldn’t comprehend the ‘adult’ conversations. He was sick of it. He dealt with enough shit in his life that he deserved to not be treated like a kid and have everything sugar coated for him.

The red head stayed quiet, tossing the cigarette butt aside, debating on lighting another one. “Remember when I got sick at the beginning of the summer?” He took a deep breath and looked at Kai, who remained quiet, curiosity glowing in his eyes. “I...I wasn’t exactly sick” He said slowly, he wondered if he’d have to spell it out for Kai or if he would figure it out on his own. 

“What are you talking about?” He said, why couldn’t Tala get to the point. He didn’t want to be outside anymore and was impressed that Olyvia hadn’t already come out looking for him. 

Tala closed his hands into tight fists, his stomach tightened with fear as he thought it over. He shook his head “I got pregnant Kai…” He continued to stare at the grass, terrified of the blue haired boy’s reaction. He stayed quiet, waiting to hear something from the other boy who remained silent. 

“You...you shouldn’t be able to get pregnant” Kai finally answered. He didn’t know what else to say. This was news to him and he was hurt that Tala would keep this from him. 

“I wasn’t on the hormone therapy yet Kai, it was completely possible. It’s why we can’t be together. I can’t risk something like that happening again.” It was only part of the truth, he hated that he needed to keep the fact Boris would order Tala dead if they kept their relationship up. “Plus, you have Olyvia now. She really likes you and you would do good to reciprocate those feelings. I know you care about her” he tried to make the conversation more positive but he could tell he had already ruined the bluenettes night “Please Kai just enjoy the night”

Kai stayed quiet. Tala had been pregnant! Why had he never said anything to him about that. What did he do about the baby. He obviously didn’t stay pregnant. Kai could only nod in agreement. What else was he supposed to do. This was a shock to him. The thing that Kai didn’t understand the most was he wasn’t fertile. It was something he had found out from overhearing a conversation between the scientists once. Who else had Tala been sleeping with then?

“Yeah, sure. Let’s just forget this okay? You’re right. We need to put our relationship in the past where it belongs. You’ve got Miriam and I have Olyvia.” He gave a weak smile to his friend to show he was okay “We good?” Kai asked, wanting to just leave and go inside, find a way to get even more drunk and distract himself from the news he had received. 

Tala smiled back. Kai had taken this all better than he thought he would have “Yes, we’re good. Let’s enjoy this night. We both deserve it.” The two headed inside, both with very different mindsets of the conversation they had shared. 

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The music bumped loudly from the gymnasium and it smelled of marshmallows and cucumber melon perfume. The bass radiated and shook the room, or so it seemed. Rei and his friends had occupied a corner of the room and left their things at a table covered with a cloth that was colored like a red peppermint candy. Balloons held the centerpiece of the few tables scattered across the room. The decor of the dance itself adhered itself well to the theme of Candy Land.

The group made their way to the hallway for photos. Max carried around a digital camera, as well as a classic polaroid around his neck. He was an avid photographer and had an appreciation for retro pictures. The digital camera was reserved for yearbook photos.

The group had posed for pictures in a pseudo photobooth put together by the girls earlier that week. It was decorated with giant lollipops and massive cardboard and plastic candies. A rolling green carpet lined the floor toward the sky blue backdrop.

After a few snapshots, and cycles of students moving through, Tyson and Hilary were the last couple to pose. Tyson made silly faces while Hilary laughed at him. She seemed amused by her goofy boyfriend.

"Okay, okay. Let's do a group picture." Max guided his friends closer together while closing one of his eyes to gauge the best shot.

Rei inched closer to the group, and Tyson wrapped one of his arms around him, pulling him closer. He felt included, despite being without a date.

"Cheese!" Max bellowed over the music. He snapped a shot of the group, and they decided to move on and check out the rest of the festivities in the gym. It was dark, with the exception of colored lights strobing and patterning the floor and the walls.

Across the room, Rei spotted Kai and Tala with their dates. He was relieved that Bryan hadn't bothered to show up. He observed for a moment, and noticed Tala was busy with Miriam. Olyvia clung to Kai's arm who barely seemed to notice her, his mind obviously elsewhere.

For the next hour, Rei tried to forget about the slate haired boy.. He made an effort to socialize with his friends and keep his eyes off of Kai. Tyson was drunk, and kept pulling Rei into the crowd of sweaty teenagers to force him to dance. Rei felt more loose as he tried to relax and failed miserably at trying to dance along. Nobody seemed to mind. It was getting warmer and the air had become thicker as the night went on.

"Yo, I need a break. I'm parched." Tyson shouted over the music. He led Hilary to the hallway to catch their breath and find somewhere quieter to sit and cool off, maybe enjoy one of the drinks the ball cap wearing teen had snuck in.

"Yeah, we need to make sure we got photos of everyone before we shut down." Emily led Max by the hand toward their photobooth.

Rei was left alone as he slumped up against the painted white brick wall. A layer of sweat lined his forehead. He was panting lightly and starting to process how long he had actually been there. Rei pulled his phone from his pocket and checked the time. It was already 9:30. Realising the time, he noticed how long it had been since he actually saw Kai. He praised himself for having fun and forgetting about the boy.

The room remained poorly-lit and loud, so he wandered around to see if he could find someone he recognized. Meanwhile, Tala and Miriam had left to walk the halls and chat without the music bothering them. Olyvia sat outside helping Max and Emily finish with the photo booth and count the tickets. Olyvia was still devastated that Kai had been so intoxicated, and she found other ways to keep herself busy. She would take things up with Kai when they weren't at school. She didn't want to make him decide to leave early. So she kept her distance for the night.

Closer to the opposite corner of the gym, he spotted Kai. His arms were crossed politely and he stood alone. Rei decided to take this as an opportunity to have a conversation with the boy he crushed on. "Hey, you enjoying yourself?" Rei closed the distance between the two suddenly, and it caused Kai to look up from the floor in subtle surprise.

"Sure." Kai seemed incredibly unimpressed, perhaps even shy. Rei could slowly see how awkward Kai felt being left on his own, just like Rei had been. He debated on how he could help his friend out of this situation. Seeing Kai worry was incredibly abnormal and unsettling for Rei.

"My friends all ditched me too. You wanna take this outside and get some air? You look hot." His words carried a double meaning. Rei was impressed by the bluenette's style. His suit looked insanely expensive, and the black was a nice contrast from his pale face. The darkness of the room lent Rei some confidence he normally hadn't had around the other teen. It was probably the small amount of alcohol he had consumed. The fact that Kai appeared stranded made it easier to approach him. Rei didn't like bothering him when his posse surrounded him. They intimidated everyone.

“Sounds great” Kai said, he peeled himself off the wall and motioned for Rei to follow him. He lazily held the door to the outside open for Rei to exit first. Once outside Kai took Rei’s hand, and continued to lead him down the steps towards his usual spot. 

Rei’s chest fluttered when Kai took his hand, he wasn’t expecting that at all. The boy’s hand felt perfect in his, a strong grip that held him firmly yet Rei could easily have pulled away if he wanted to. “You look really good tonight” He admired, breaking the silence between them. 

Kai froze upside. The blasted butterflies taking flight and fluttering through him as Rei’s deep voiced compliment “You look good too. I told you the red would match your bandana.” He gave Rei a sly smirk, liking that he was right. He wondered if Rei would notice that Kai had chosen a tie of the same colour 

The amber eyed boy blushed as they got to the tree that seemed to be the only place in the school yard Kai would go. He wondered why he liked the tree so much and would have to ask him about it some time. Suddenly Rei was pulled to the ground as Kai plopped himself down, not letting go of Rei’s hand as he did so. This caused the boy to fall almost into Kai’s lap, most ungracefully. 

Kai smirked with and amused raise of his eyebrow as he looked at Rei, meeting the boy’s eyes as the other blushed red with embarassement 

“Sorry!” Rei said quickly as he scrambled to get out of Kai’s personal space. His face went an even more vibrant shade of red as he realized one his hands was resting on Kai’s inner thigh. He quickly pulled back and put a short distance between them 

“What are you apologizing for? I’m the one that pulled you down. I didn’t mind where you were” Kai stated as he pulled a small bottle of alcohol out of the inside of his jacket. He took a quick drink before offering it to Rei. 

Rei took the bottle quickly and drank some of the contents faster than he meant to, causing himself to choke on the burning liquid which brought tears to his eyes. Great now he looked even more like an idiot in front of his crush. “Uh thanks” he said once he had composted himself. Rei let out a small cough and handed the bottle back to Kai “So...uhm why were you alone?” He asked to make conversation, the alcohol already making his head fuzzy. This was stronger than anything he had ever drank before. 

Kai shrugged and took another drink before sealing the bottle and putting it back in his pocket. “Liv’s mad at me cause I had a few drinks. Tala and I got into an argument and I thought I’d leave him alone to enjoy his night with Miriam. He hasn’t really had a date with her yet” The last part he said coldly, still very much upset with his red haired friend. “What about you?”

Looking at Kai while he talked, Rei hadn’t unfortunately heard much of what he had said. Instead he was staring at Kai’s lips wondering what they would taste like, or how Kai would feel against him. Rei quickly shook his head, the alcohol must really be getting to him. “Oh! Uhm, Max and Emily had to get things ready for the crowning of the King and Queen and Tyson and Hilary just went for a walk. I thought I’d come see you since you were alone. Hope that was okay” He answered quickly, hoping he didn’t appear as weird as he felt. 

“You need to calm down a little there.” Kai pulled a small bag out of his other pocket. “You ever smoke weed before? Might help you” he said laughing as he leaned back on the ground, staring up at the sky above. 

Rei was impressed that Kai seemed to hide so much in such a thin, very expensive looking fabric. He nodded quickly “Yeah, sure all the time” Rei said lying through his teeth, he hoped it didn’t sound as unconvincing as it felt. Truth was he stayed away from a lot of that because of the medication he was on. He began to wonder if Candace had lied to him about the effects it could have. He’d had a buzz going on most of the night and everything seemed like it was okay. So why not try something else. One night wouldn’t hurt. 

Kai raised an eyebrow and looked Rei in the eyes. He could see right through the smaller boys fib. It amused him that Rei was trying so hard to impress him. Rei shied away from his stare. "Okay. Cut the shit. I can see on your face you have never even caught a whiff of weed before." He drew a thick, tightly rolled joint out of a case from his pocket and with the other hand, placed it back in his pocket and pulled out a silver zippo. “Did you want to try?” He asked, not wanting to pressure Rei into anything and was genuinely just being nice. 

Rei nodded, “Yeah. If it calms you down as much as people say it does. I’ll try it” Kai handed Rei the lighter. Rei looked it over and ran his thumb along the engraving. On it, an image of a phoenix decorated the shell. "Uh, would you mind lighting it for me?" Rei was nervous. He shouldn't have lied to Kai and he was embarrassed that he was clueless about what he was doing.

"I'll do you one better." Kai chuckled and sat back up, placed his hand around Rei's as he took the lighter back. Rei had never seen Kai this physical with anyone before, other than his clingy girlfriend. Where was she? Why haven't they looked for Kai yet?

Rei watched attentively as Kai held the joint between his teeth. He raised his strong hands to his mouth and cupped the joint. Flicking the lighter, he held the flame to the end and lit it. Dragging slowly, he inhaled deeply and let out a puff of thick white smoke. It smelled like citrus almost, Rei thought. "Don't worry about it Rei. You just sit there and I'll blow the smoke in your mouth. It's easy. Just hold it in as long as you can." Kai's proposition was weird, but Rei didn't know better and decided not to dispute it.

Kai took a long drag from the joint once more, and grabbed Rei's jaw. Using his lips to force Rei's open, he exhaled softly into the raven haired boy's mouth. Rei inhaled the smoke as instructed, fighting against the need to cough. Rei pulled back harshly and coughed hard, unable to fight the urge any longer. The smoke suffocated him, and he couldn't really feel anything yet.

"See? Super easy." Kai grinned and kept puffing away on his spliff. He was completely ignorant of the boy beside him, who was utterly stunned at being kissed by his classmate.

Rei could only nod. It was like his brain had shut off the second Kai’s lips touched his. He sat and stared at the boy beside him trying to figure out how to form words. “I-uh-yeah” he managed to finally say. After a few deep breaths, the burning in his lungs started to subside. “Can...can we do that again?” Rei asked. More for the possible chance of getting to actually kiss Kai 

Kai smirked, his plan of subtly kissing Rei had worked. He inhaled another long toke of the joint before putting it out beside him. He leaned close to Rei, exhaling the smoke before he got close enough, not wanting Rei to start hacking a lung up again on him. “Can I just do this?” He asked before crushing his lips to Rei’s, kissing him deeply yet slowly. He wasn’t sure how Rei would react this time. 

His mind freezing again, Rei froze as Kai kissed him again. When the boy started to pull away, Rei quickly threw his hand around the boy’s head and gripped the slate hair, holding him in place so he could kiss him back. 

Kai chuckled softly against Rei, gently pushing Rei down to the ground and leaning over him to deepen the kiss. The black haired boy refused to let go of Kai in fear he would pull away as hey laid them down. Kai ran his fingers through the long dark locks of Rei’s hair, at least what wasn’t tied back. He kisses traced Rei’s jawline and neck before finding their way back to his lips, smiling as Rei let out a quiet moan. 

Finally Kai had to pull back so the two could breath. They both struggled to get air in their lungs. Their lips red and swollen from the experience. The slate haired boy didn’t move from his place over Rei, he looked down and locked eyes with the amber orbs “For the record, Liv isn’t my girlfriend” Kai’s voice was deep and sent a chill down Rei’s back. The news excited him on more levels than one. Kai finally got off of Rei and lay beside him. He didn’t want to go back to the dance, but he knew he had to. 

From behind them, Tyson could see the two of them sitting by the tree on their own. He smelled the smoke from the pot they had lit. Had they just kissed? Dude they were totally sucking face! Tyson thought surprised but proud of Rei at the same time. Since when does Rei smoke? Tyson wasn't positive about what he had seen. But being Tyson he decided to just go interrupt them since that’s what he did best.

"Hey guys. Nice night eh?" Tyson walked in front of the two boys, who were now seated side by side. 

"H-hey Tyson. Kai and I got left alone so we figured we would come get some air." Rei exclaimed quickly, feeling the need to explain why he was outside alone with the taller teen beside him. Had Tyson seen them kissing? Rei was worried his friend would judge him for it.

Kai was silent. He seemed reserved again almost instantly after Tyson had greeted them. Rei could tell Kai didn't want his friend there, but he worried Tala or Olyvia might come searching for Kai any second.

"All good. I get it. They’ve announced the Candy King and Queen already. And they had their dance. Max asked me to find you, he needs to get going." Tyson gave his friend the news that they had to leave. 

Rei was disappointed. He finally got to be alone with Kai and it felt like it had only been five minutes. They had already crowned the king and queen? How long had they been out here. “So who won?” he asked curiously 

Tyson shrugged as he stuffed his hands into his pockets. “Miguel and Mathilda. Liv was pissed. She was sure her and Kai were going to get it.”

“Probably for the better” Kai muttered as he stood up, offering his hand to help Rei up. “I gotta go find Liv. Have a good night” He said, leaving Rei and Tyson alone and not giving Rei a chance to say anything before disappearing into the school.. 

Rei watched Kai leave, he wanted to say thanks for the drink and smoke. The effects of both of them starting to play with his brain. It was getting quite fuzzy. “I guess we might as well go then” 

“So you and Kai huh?” The blue haired boy smirked and gave his friend a playful shove “didn’t know you had it in you” 

Rei felt embarrassed and looked away, here was the teasing he had expected “I- I guess” He didn’t know what else to say. Tyson would make fun of him for kissing another boy and then proceed to tell his friends and it would just like at his old school where he was bullied for being who he was. 

“Dude what’s wrong” Tyson caught the look of embarrassment on Rei’s face “Man, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that. I meant like way to go that’s awesome!”

Rei stopped walking and looked at Tyson “Really? You’re not going to make fun of me?” He was surprised, everyone made fun of people for being gay. It wasn’t something that was accepted. It was why he kept it hidden completely when he moved to Toronto. 

Tyson shook his head “Hell no way! You like who you like man. It doesn’t effect me why would I make fun of you for it” He grinned “Plus my brother’s gay to. I have nothing against anyone. The gang wont tease you either. I promise. I don’t know what’s been done to you for you to be afraid to be you but Toronto is different. It’s like the gay capital of Canada. We like and accept everyone.”

Rei smiled widely. He felt tears prick his eyes. He had never felt so accepted before and couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “Thanks Tyson. Really, that means a lot to me” 

The shorter blue haired boy grinned “Dude we got your back. C’mon, my phones been vibrating since I came out to get you. Hil probably thinks we’ve been kidnapped or something. 

Tala took a drag off his cigarette as Kai walked up the steps to the school. He had come outside wondering where Kai had disappeared off to and saw him in the yard with the dark haired boy. “What were you doing with Rei?” He asked. Miriam was inside with Olyvia, Tala had said he would go find Kai so they could leave.

Kai rolled his eyes and leaned against the railing that overlooked the courtyard “Smoked a joint” He wasn’t exactly lying. He stayed quiet and thought about the raven haired boy. He brushed his fingers over his lips, he could still feel Rei’s against him. The kill playing over and over in his head. How Rei seemed shy at first but it was quickly melted and replaced with such confidence leaving Kai wanting more. He started to wonder what it would feel like to have Rei’s lips on other parts of his body, or his own exploring Rei’s. Kai quickly shook the thoughts from his head “Uh lets go then”

Tala raised his eyebrow, he was sure there was more Kai wasn’t telling him but after what Tala had told Kai he wouldn’t be surprised if his once best friend lost trust in him. He was about the reply when Miriam and Olyvia walked out the door. He smiled at the blue haired girl and even gave a sympathetic smile to Olyvia. He did actually feel bad for her and how Kia had ditched her for the last hour. “Yeah, lets go”

Kai followed the three to the vehicle. His girlfriend wouldn’t even look at him. The hurt was evident on her face as she was still quite upset with how Kai had acted that night. She had noticed him disappear but was finally having fun with her friends that she wasn’t going to go after him. 

“Are you mad at me?” Kai asked as he and Olyvia got in the back seat of the car. She still hadn’t acknowledged him since they started to walk away from the school. 

Liv shot the blue haired boy a venomous look “What do you think!” She snapped. Olyvia was embarrassed of her date. The car reeked of alcohol and Kai was the only one who was drinking. It was nights like these she wondered why she bothered being so nice to him. She treated him so well. Better than most girlfriends would treat their boyfriends. Why wouldn’t he just go out with her. He did have a softer, more gentle side that he showed her when they were alone, or in art class. In that room alone he was a completely different person. That was the boy she fell for. 

Kai winced at the tone of voice out of the small girl. He reached over to touch her hand. She jerked it away and crossed her arms in front of her. “Liv, I’m sorry.” He said, not knowing what else to say, he realized how much he messed this up for her. 

Olyvia continued to glare out the window, tears pricked at her eyes at how upset she was. Why couldn’t Kai understand, why did he always have to be so cold when they were anywhere but alone or in the art classroom. 

The rest of the drive was silent. Tala pulled up beside Miriam’s car and parked. Everyone piled out of the car and Olyvia walked straight to her friend’s car, not bothering to say goodbye to anyone. Kai said nothing and walked to the house. 

“Well that wasn’t awkward at all." Miriam said sarcastically looking up at Tala. “Thanks for tonight. I had a lot of fun.” 

Tala nodded. “I had fun too. I’m glad I decided to go. Thank you for coming with me.” Tala thought about kissing Miriam and decided to just go for it. The two were very close in height. He leaned forward and gave Miriam a light kiss. 

MIriam blushed a bright red and was thankful that the only light on the porch was too dim to see anything. She raised her hand and rested it on Tala’s shoulder, kissing the boy back. 

The two pulled apart, both blushing. Miriam bit her lip nervously. “Have a great night Tala. I should get Olyvia home. She's pretty upset.” 

Tala nodded. “Yeah I'm sorry about that” he watched Miriam get in her car. He waved back when she waved at him as she turned the car around and drove down the driveway to bring Olyvia home. He wondered if he should just leave Kai be, or call him out for how he had treated Olyvia that night. 

Once they had gotten into the gym Kai barely said a word to his date, brushing her off and just taking small sips of the alcohol he had hidden in his jacket. Tala knew he was partially to blame, having given Kai the news he had. But he deserved to know, but that was no reason to treat Olyvia like he didn’t care about her at all and that she was a huge burden to him that night. Tala had even found Liv crying by herself at one point and had sent Miriam to go talk to her. 

Tala stayed outside and lit a cigarette. He couldn't remember ever actually being this mad at Kai and how he treated people. He wasn't sure if this was how Kai always was and he was just seeing it for the first time or if he was progressively getting worse and caring more about being numb and following his brother's footsteps into addiction. That was how he was acting tonight that’s for sure. 

Once done his smoke Tala walked back inside. Kai was leaning against the counter drinking vodka straight from the bottle. “Are you fucking kidding me!”

Kai pulled the bottle from his lips and looked at Tala, he was even more drunk then at the dance. Tala wasn't sure how he was still standing “What?” Was all the blue haired boy had said.

Tala stormed over to Kai and yanked the bottle from his hand and moved towards the sink and started dumping it out. “Stop fucking drinking.” Tala demanded.

Kai moved to take the bottle from Tala, stumbling and having to use the counter to steady himself. Okay. Maybe he could take a break. “What's your problem now." he muttered, unable to deal with tala or anyone for that matter..

“You're still my problem. You and your fucking drinking and pills and whatever else you do to hide from everything." Tala was glad Bryan wasn't there. Hopefully he was passed out in his own drug induced stupor. It would make this conversation easier without him butting in. He was done with the bullshit his best friend pulled and their conversation was escalating.

“I'm not fucking hiding from anything. I'm sick of all this shit from you and Olyvia. Both of you need to stop acting like you give a shit and leave me be.”

Tala shook his head. “You're kidding right? Olyvia loves you and would do anything for you and you treat her like shit. She doesn't deserve that and for some reason still sticks by your side." he wasn't a huge fan of the green haired girl but she still didn't deserve to be treated how Kai treated her. “She cares about you and is trying to get you out of your shell!” Tala pleaded with Kai to hear him out.

Kai rolled his eyes. “She can stop. I don't need her or anyone to take care of me."

Tala chuckled quietly and glares up at the taller boy. “Says the one who tried to kill himself when his brother went to jail, or needs me to help his shower because he can't fucking stand.” Tala knew it was a low blow but at that point he didn't care. He was completely fed up with his friend right now.

The blue haired boy looked at his friend. He wasn't used to tala being the one yelling at him. Tala was supposed to be the one he could go to after a rough day with his uncle, or school.  
“You have no idea what I deal with. So I want to get high or drink a little bit. You have no idea what it's like to not own your own body and have to be abused all the fucking time. Have people stare at you like you're some sort of freak. If you knew half of what I dealt with you'd fucking drink to”

The redhead took a deep breath. Did Kai really want to go there? Compare how hard lives were? “Okay, so we're playing that game? Try being born in the wrong body. Being confused and not understanding why you were born this way. Having your father beat you after your mom walks out because you look too much like her. Having him rape you continueously for the same reason while he's to drunk to realize it's his fucking child!” 

Tala pauses as tears started to prick his eyes, he completely hated talking about his past for this exact reason. “Finally running away and thinking you're free only to have to sell your body in order to eat or travel so you can get as far away from your father. And just when you think life is getting better, finally finding a home and people who actually seem to care about you. The boy you love gets you pregnant and you have no choice but to abort it because you know neither of you are capable of raising a human. You're right Kai I have no idea what you're going through. I lived my own hell and you don't see me fucking hiding!"

Kai didn't know how to react. He was stunned that Tala had said so much about a past that Kai knew nothing about. All tala had ever told him was that he ran away from home and wasn't going back. “I-I'm sorry?” What else was there to say.

Tala shook his head. “Fuck you Kai." he said and turned to go outside. He needed a cigarette and had to get away from Kai before he cried. The tears still threatening to fall.

The crimson eyed boy stared at the door his best friend went out. He really messed up tonight and not just with Olyvia. He had managed to piss Tala off as well. Maybe his friend was right, he was being a little harsh lately. He had been drinking more than usual and the pills weren’t working as well as they once had so he had started taking more. 

Kai sighed and walked towards his room. It took a lot of focus to not hit the floor as his balance was completely off with how drunk he was. This would’ve been one of the times Tala had helped him to his room because he wasn’t able to himself. He got to his room and flopped on his back on his bed, not caring about the fact he was still wearing his suit. 

As Kai laid in bed he thought about Olyvia and if he could fix things with her, or if he had finally messed up to much. He would work harder on being sober. He hoped he was strong enough to fight the withdrawals that were no doubt going to come. Maybe he could just slow down and aim for just a slight numbing feeling, just to put a damper on the overwhelming emotions he couldn’t handle.


	8. Chapter 8

A small child no older than five sat curled up in her mother’s lap while she read a bedtime story to her daughter. The child had fair skin and stunning blue eyes that matched the sky on a cloudless day, red hair as vibrant as a cardinal’s feather, cascading in ringlette down her back. 

The two figures sat in the child’s bed. The mother with matching red hair and crystal eyes, leaned against the headboard with the book in hand. The child curled up under her left arm with her head resting on her mother’s chest. The child was mesmerized in the book, completely fixated on the story being told. She enjoyed every voice and tone change her mother made, loving how her mother put the time into making voices for each character. 

The bedroom was that of a typical young girl, where their parents had full control of the decorations. A white framed bed sat in the middle of the room, a matching dresser and vanity on the right side near the window. Toys piled in a box in the corner beside a tall bookshelf, crammed full of the girl’s favourite stories. The room itself was painting a light shade of pink with a deep purple accent wall. 

“Mama?” The child asked, lifting her head to look her mother in the eyes. There was a curiosity on her mind that she needed an answer to. It had been bothering her since school earlier that day.

“Yes, my dear” Mother said with a smile, giving her daughter a kiss on the head. 

The small girl sat up straighter, worry written across her face. She wasn’t sure how to bring up the question. “Mama, why am I different?” She finally asked, looking down at her tiny hands. 

Her mother looked at her daughter. Unsure of where this insecurity was coming from. She assumed the worst and that her daughter was being bullied in school. “What do you mean different? Talia, sweetie are you being picked on at school?”

Tears rose to Talia’s eyes and she nodded “This girl in my class says I’m weird because I don’t play with the other girls. I don’t like playing dress up or with dolls and I don’t wear dresses and have my hair all pretty like them.” 

The small girl’s mother wrapped her arms tightly around her daughter and pulled her close into her lap. “Oh sweetie, that doesn’t make you different. You don’t have to like dolls, or dresses. Everyone likes their own things.”

Talia took a deep breath, still not looking at her mother. “Mama” She said again, having another question “I don’t think I am a girl though” She looked up with piercing blue eyes full of worry and concern. 

For such a young child to think these thoughts, her mother's look gave her daughter her complete attention. “What do you think you are sweetie?” The mother didn’t want to put thoughts in her child’s head and wanted Talia to be able to tell her mother what she was thinking about. 

Quiet fell over the room as Talia starred at the bookshelf. She loved her mother dearly and was afraid of upsetting her. All mothers loved and dreamed of having a daughter. It was something that was said in a lot of her books. “Mama, I feel like a boy. I’m not a girl. I’m a boy” She finally said, confidence building her voice as she finally confirmed her thoughts. 

Talia’s mother hugged her daughter tightly and kissed her head once more. “Does that mean you’re my son now?” She said with complete acceptance. Allison would love her daughter for whoever she wanted to be and would completely support the decision she made. The most difficult thing would be her husband Jarret. He was in the military and currently overseas. Talia had only seen her father a few short times in her life. 

Talia thought about her mother’s question and shook her head “No I think I’m still your daughter but I don’t want to wear dresses or play with dolls” She stated. 

Allison smiled and nodded “Sweetie, you know you can be whoever you choose to be. I’ll always be your biggest fan” 

Tiny arms wrapped tightly around Allison’s neck and she hugged her daughter back just as tightly “Thank you mama! Can we finish the story now?” She asked curling back up into her favourite reading position. 

Over the course of the next few months Allison helped her daughter express herself in the way she wanted to. She never pressed Talia on her gender and who she felt like and let the child make the decisions.

Together they repainted the bedroom to Talia’s favourite colour, grey. Allison wasn’t so sure on the colour but Talia was insistent that was her favourite colour so of course her mother let her paint the room. Talia chose a few different clothings items, not varying too much from what she normally wore as well as getting a haircut. Instead of her hair flowing down her back it was cut into a shoulder length bob that Talia said would be good to run in and not get in her eyes. 

Almost a year later, mother and daughter were sitting at the small kitchen table. Allison enjoyed the smile her daughter had on her face and how animated she was about her school days. It was incredible what simple changes could do for a child’s self esteem, she no long complained about the other girls making fun of her. They weren’t her friends so it didn’t matter what they thought. She had much more fun at recess playing with the boys. 

“Talia, sweetie I have some news for you,” Allison said as she set a bowl of ice cream with strawberry syrup down for the two of them to share. 

Talia took a giant scoop of icecream, making sure to get as much whipped cream as she could. She popped the spoonful in her mouth, eyes widened as she got brain freeze. She closed her eyes tight until the discomfort subsided “Yes mama?”

Allison laughed quietly and shook her head “Don’t take such big bites” She chided, taking a small scoop for herself. “Your father is coming home. I got an email while you were at school.”

The small girl’s eyes grew with excitement “Really! Dad’s coming home! I can’t wait to show him my new bedroom and tell him how good I am at soccer!” She took another spoonful of dessert, this time being more cautious of the amount “Is he going to stay home now?” 

Nodding, Allison wiped a bit of ice cream off her daughter’s cheek with her thumb “Yes, he’s going to be staying home. He won’t be working for the army any longer” Hiding the concern in her voice from the excited child. 

Truth was, Jarret was being dishonorably discharged from his post. The email hadn’t gone into great detail of what had caused him to be discharged. She knew it couldn’t be good and worried about what her husband could have done to cause such disgrace that he was no longer welcome to serve his country. Allison hoped this would only be a minor setback and her husband would be able to find work quickly.

The smile that grew across Talia’s face made Allison feel happy. The small girl barely knew her father and had only spent a short part of her life with him. She hoped this would help build a bond between the two. “You mean it doesn’t have to work anymore! He can play games with us all the time and watch movies and eat ice cream!” Talia exclaiming, listing off many things she could do with her dad now.

“Maybe we can even go on a trip as well,” Allison said, clearing the ice cream bowl away and walking it to the sink. She had always dreamed of the three of them taking a trip to Disneyland or even Universal Studios. She knew her daughter would love it. 

“Oh Mama! That would be wonderful!” Talia jumped from her seat and helped clear the rest of the dinner dishes from the table. She was going to see her dad again and he’d never have to leave ever again.

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Jarret Ivanov arrived home two weeks later. He had been discharged the day he sent his wife the email but was in shock and embarrassed about his status. Jarret was only doing his job. He was in that damn country to eliminate the threats. Who cared how he did it and if he wanted to reap the rewards after. Those things weren’t human. They were a disgrace to the human race and left on this planet to provide him and his men target practice and a good time. They had needs, being away from their wives for so long. Did the military actually expect them to be celibate the whole time? 

The man laughed out loud at his own thoughts, he was angry about the discharge. Being dishonourably discharged meant he could no longer wield a firearm and would be marked as a disgrace to his country. He couldn’t even get the military benefit to support his family. That had been the part that caused Jarret not to go directly home. How was he supposed to support his family now? The military was all he knew. He had been an army brat as long as he could remember and now he had a daughter and a wife to support. 

These thoughts and worries had caused the man to stay away from his family and take a couple weeks to go back. He stayed with one of his buddies where the two of them drank and remained drunk the entire time. No point in thinking about things, he deserved a vacation from all that. 

The cab Jarret was riding in pulled up in front of a small red brick home. Jarret remembered when he had bought the small two bedroom home. It had been two months after Allison had told him she was pregnant with their first child. 

He thought back to that day, remembering it like it had just happened. It had been the happiest day of his life, and to find out a couple short months later that they were having a daughter made everything better. His Talia-Rose was the best thing in his life and he couldn’t wait to see his daughter again. 

Jarret got out of the cab, paid the driver and stood at the road. He had been drinking the whole day leading up to going home, nervous how Allison would react to his discharge. He had worried that she would leave him, take Talia with him and he’d never see her again. Anger quickly flared inside at the thought of anyone taking his daughter away, he’d never allow that!. The alcohol in his system fueling his rage, making him angrier at a possibility that hadn’t even happened. 

“Daddy!!” a high pitched squeal broke Jarret from his thoughts. His anger instantly melted as he looked up, a tiny figure with vibrant red hair racing towards him. Jarret smiled and started walking up the sidewalk to meet the sunshine of his world. The man knelt down, tossing his canvas bag to the side as Talia jumped into his arms, tiny arms wrapping tightly around his neck. 

Tears ran down Jarret’s face as he held his daughter tightly. “Hey baby girl” Jarret kissed his daughter’s cheek over and over again. He missed her so much. He held her close, running his fingers through her hair. He noticed how short it was and pulled back from his hug. The last time he saw Talia, her hair was down her back in thick curls, now it sat barely above her shoulders. “What happened to your hair?”  
Talia smiled as Jarret set her back on her feet. “Mama let me cut it! I didn’t like it long cause it was too girly and got in my face when I played soccer at recess” She explained as Allison walked to meet her husband. She was met with a glare from Jarret and she could tell he was intoxicated by the red glow on his cheeks and bloodshot eyes. 

“Why would you do that!” Jarret said angrily at his wife. He stood up, towering over the shorter woman. 

Allison tried to remain calm. Why was he drunk at this time? He also should have been home over a week ago “She wanted it cut. Can we talk about this later.” Allison missed her husband deeply and was hurt that he was drunk after not seeing his family for so long “Talia hasn’t stopped talking about you since she found out you were coming home. I have dinner ready, come inside and let’s eat.”

The young girl took her father’s hand the best she could. “I helped mama make dinner!” Talia started to walk her father up the steps to the house, explaining that she had set the table and put the dessert on plates and back in the fridge. The young child told her father what Allison had made for dinner and how she knew it was Jarret’s favourite.

Jarret tried to listen to his daughter and be happy for her. He was upset about her hair but knew it wasn’t Talia’s fault. She was much too young to make decisions like that for herself. Allison was the one to blame and he would make sure she knew it once his daughter was asleep. 

The family dinner was quiet, Talia the only one keeping conversation going as she told Jarret everything she felt was important and that he needed to know. Jarret acted interested and asked questions to keep the conversation going. He and Allison barely talked, a tension between them that had never been there before. 

Once dinner was done, Jarret read Talia a bedtime story and tucked her to bed. He stayed with her until the young girl was asleep. He kissed the top of her head and left the room, closing the door behind him. 

“Why did you cut her hair? It was perfect, it was so long and beautiful” Jarret accused his wife as he walked back out to the kitchen where Allison was finishing cleaning up after dinner. 

His wife finished drying the plate in her hand and set it in the cupboard. She was upset that he was still going on about their daughter’s hair “She asked for it to be cut. She didn’t want it long anymore so I let her.” She turned and looked at her husband longingly. She had always heard the stories of people being changed from war, but she had never expected her sweet husband to fall victim to it. 

Fury crossed Jarret’s face “She’s a child! She’s too young to make choices like that! She doesn’t know what she wants!” His voice rose with his anger.   
Allison stood her ground and met her husband’s glare with one of her own “How would you know Jarret? You’ve been around for maybe five months of her life? You know nothing about her. I don’t hold that against you at you but you can’t come in here accusing me of making a wrong choice in something as simple as a haircut. You don’t know what her and I have gone through these past months.” She looked at her husband “Can we please not do this. I’ve missed you so much and I don’t want to argue with you when you’ve just gotten home” 

Jarret took a deep breath, Allison was right, he didn’t want to fight with her right now. She didn’t deserve it “I’m sorry” he said quietly, walking to his wife and embracing her in a hug. He held her against him and met her lips with his own, kissing her deeply with need. “I’ve missed you so much baby. Please don’t be mad at me. We’ll get through this.”

Kissing her husband back, she melted in his arms, wanting him with a need that she didn’t know she still possessed. “I love you” She whispered against his lips. Jarret picked Allison up, she wrapped her legs around his waist and he carried her to the bedroom. They had a lot of catching up to do. 

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Talia and Allison’s life changed quite a bit over the next two years with Jarret being home. It seemed to be good at first. Jarret would leave in the morning, claiming that he was looking for a job, only to come home most nights quite intoxicated. It had not taken long for the small town of Harrisburg, South Dakota to hear about Jarret’s discharge. It had made it increasingly difficult for the man to find work as no one would hire a disgrace to their country. 

During the first few months that Jarret had returned he had tried to find a job. He was determined to support his family and take care of them. The town had a different idea for the man and instead made it known how much he had insulted his country. The man couldn’t handle the verbal abuse from people who he had thought were his friends and family. This caused Jarret to drink as soon as he got home everyday. He started to take his anger out on his family. 

Allison had picked up a job at a local restaurant as a waitress. She hadn’t worked since she had Talia, Jarret didn’t want her to work and wanted her to stay home and take care of their daughter. That had been fine with her at the time, but now that she had to work she missed her daughter when she wasn’t home. Jarret kept reminding his wife that he knew how to take care of their daughter and she would be perfectly fine with him while she worked. 

It had been fine for a short while until Allison would come home from work some nights to find out that Talia hadn’t had dinner because Jarret was drunk and had forgotten about the young girl, or a couple times when he wasn’t even home and Talia was left alone. 

Talia would tell her mom that it was okay. She was a big girl and would just watch tv and not use the stove. Allison started to make sure there were sandwiches and vegetables cut up in the fridge so at least Talia would be able to eat dinner if Jarret forgot about her. 

This became the new norm for the family. Allison and Talia taking care of a drunk Jarret. Allison had to start taking extra shifts at her job so the bills would get paid, Jarret spent most of the money on his alcohol addiction.

“Mama? Why is dad always yelling at you when you come home?” Talia asked one night, she had woken up when Allison had come to kiss her goodnight, like she did every night she came home. Talia was eight now and starting to understand more of what was going on between her parents. She knew Jarret yelled at Allison when he was especially drunk and put her down. He also hit her when she tried to calm her down. 

Talia had noticed her mother changing and acting differently since Jarret had been home. She was quieter and more timid. Tiptoeing around her husband trying to make sure she didn’t upset him. It wasn’t an easy task as Jarret got upset over everything. Talia had let her hair grow back out when she heard her father yelling at Allison the first night he got home. The young girl hated it but she didn’t want her dad to be mad. She wanted to make him happy 

“Oh sweetie, please don’t think of things like that. He’s just having a hard time with not being able to work. It’ll get better okay?” Allison tried to comfort her daughter. She sat on the side of her daughter's bed and kissed her head. She felt bad that Talia felt the need to grow her hair back out. 

“I don’t like that dad hurts you. It’s not nice” Talia said quietly, her fingers brushing along a bruise along Allison’s arm where Jarret had grabbed her roughly “I’m sorry if it’s because of me. I won’t cut my hair again so he doesn’t get mad and I’ll wear dresses like he wants me to okay?” The small girl said, thinking that would help fix the problem

Tears welled in Allison’s eyes. It hurt so much that her daughter felt like she was the reason for her father’s anger. “Baby girl it’s not you at all. You dress however you feel comfortable and you can do your hair however you want okay? Don’t worry about Daddy”

Talia nodded and hugged her mom. “I love you mama” She laid back in her bed, tired from the day and having woken up when her mom got home. 

“I love you too baby” Allison said, she kissed her daughter’s head once more and hugged her back. “Go back to sleep okay? We’ll go out for breakfast before school tomorrow” Allison promised her daughter before she left her room and went to make herself a cup of tea before going to bed herself. 

This wasn’t the direction Allison had thought her life would be going. This wasn’t the life she wanted for her daughter and she needed to make a decision very soon on what was going to be best for the two of them. Even if that meant Jarret wouldn’t be part of their lives anymore. 

Allison walked down the hall away from her daughter’s room. Her husband was lounging on the couch watching TV. The exact spot she assumed he had been since he woke up that afternoon. This was going to be a hard conversation but it needed to happen. There was no trying to wait anymore until Jarret was sober, clearly that wasn’t possible anymore. 

“I think we need to talk” Allison stated, getting right to the point as she went and stood in front of the television, blocking the view completely of the show. 

Jarret took a long drink from the bottle in his hand “Get out of my way” he muttered, glaring at his wife. “You don’t need to stand there to talk to me” 

Allison turned the TV off and stepped aside. She knew she was playing a dangerous game right now. “Please Jarret, I’m asking for one civil conversation with you about our lives and the future of our daughter.” 

The man swore as the screen in front of him went blank, anger building in his chest as he stood up, standing over his wife who was only a couple inches shorter than him “And what future would that be” he said coldly

Taking a deep breath to conceal the fear that was building inside her she matched her husband’s gaze evenly “The future of us and Talia. We can’t keep living like this. I’m fine working and providing for the family but then I need you to take care of our daughter. She’s terrified to be herself anymore because she doesn’t want to upset you. This isn’t the life either of us wanted for her Jarret.”

“So now this is all my fault? Because I haven’t been able to work! I’ve been looking for a job since I got back Allison!” He spat, furious that he was being called out like this “And what do you mean Talia is scared to be who she is? She seems fine to me”

“It’s been two years Jarret. I’m fine if you don’t want to work. That’s not the part that bothers me.” She continued to keep her voice level, praying her husband would do the same so not to wake Talia. “The constant drinking and neglect of our daughter is the problem. You don’t know here like I do. Did you know she’s growing her hair out so you don’t get mad at me? She hates her hair long. Jarret our daughter has said on multiple occasions to me that she feels more like she’s a boy than a girl. But she’s scared that’ll get mad at her” 

Jarret laughed at what he was hearing. This was unbelievable. Did Allison even realize what she was saying. His daughter felt more like a boy? That was bullshit to him, she was a child for christ’s sake how could she even fathom what she actually wanted “Do you even hear what you’re saying? She has no idea what she wants or what she thinks she is. She’s a fucking child. They don’t know shit like that. She’ll be whoever we tell her to be and do whatever the fuck we tell her to do! That’s the end of this conversation” 

Allison shook her head. She should’ve known this was going to be a pointless conversation and wouldn’t get anywhere. “Fine. Jarret, I’m taking Talia to my mother’s tomorrow. Her and I are going to stay there for a while. I think it’s best for all of us right now” She said, finishing trying to have a normal talk with her intoxicated partner. 

“Like hell you are!” Jarret roared, grabbing Allison’s arm tightly and yanking her towards him “You’re not taking my fucking daughter anywhere. She stays here with me. You want to fucking leave then get the fuck out. But you’re not taking her!” 

“Let me go, please” The red haired woman said firmly, fighting not to pull her arm away and anger the man more. “Jarret please” She said again when he tightened his grip. 

In her room Talia could hear the argument going on in the other room. She sat up in her bed wanting to go out and stop the fighting. Her hands clapped tightly over her ears as she started to hear her mother beg and scream for Jarret to stop hurting her. Talia jumped off her bed and crawled underneath, eyes tightly shut and hands still over her ears.

Talia wasn’t sure exactly what the noises were on the other side of the door, but she knew they weren’t good. She knew her mama was getting hurt but the small girl, vibrating from fear, couldn’t get herself to move from her hiding place to help. 

The little girl had no idea how long she was under the bed or how long the arguing went on. Taking her hands from her ears, she heard the welcoming silence. The fighting had stopped. Was Mama okay? Talia thought as she crawled out from under the bed. She was surprised to see the sun peaking through her curtains. She had been under her bed all night. She must have fallen asleep somehow. 

Picking up her favourite teddy bear off her bed, Talia walked cautiously to open her door. Silence met her on the other side as she opened it “Mama?” She called quietly, tiptoeing through the hallway. “Daddy?” Neither of her parents answered her as she walked through the house.   
Where were they? Talia thought to herself as she continued to slowly and cautiously walk in and out of each room. It was a small house so there weren't many places to look. It was two bedrooms, a bathroom and an open concept living room and kitchen.

Talia noticed the front door was left open. She walked through the door to the crisp air outside. Her mother’s car was missing and it seemed neither of her parents were home. Maybe Mama went to work and Daddy forgot I was home. Talia walked back inside and closed the door. She wasn’t sure what she was going to do or when someone was going to be home. Knowing she didn’t want to get in trouble for missing school, Talia did the only thing she could think of and went on her morning routine to get ready for school. She usually walked home, walking to school wouldn’t be any different. 

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

It had been two years since that morning Talia woke up alone. When she had gotten home from school that day her father was home, the car still missing. Talia had asked Jarret where her Mama was and his reply had been that she had left. Talia to this day still didn’t know what had actually happened to Allison but it hurt knowing that she had left Talia alone with her father. 

Over the two years Jarret had started to take his anger out on his daughter. It was now her fault his life wasn’t what it should’ve been. It was Talia’s fault they’re house got taken from them and they had to move into a barely livable apartment on the cusp of the town. It was the area drug addicts and criminals lived. It suited Jarret’s new lifestyle as he became one of those addicts after not being able to cope with what had happened with Allison. He also stole in order to support his addiction. 

The last night that Allison and Jarret ever fought, Allison finally left. Jarret had hurt her severely and she shouldn’t have gone anywhere but straight to a hospital. Jarret knew he had given his wife a concussion when he had thrown her to the ground, her head bounced on the floor. He had left her there unconscious afraid at the time that he had killed her. He had left for a buddy’s house unable to deal with what he had done. 

It turned out Allison had woken up and got into her car. Jarret wasn’t sure where she planned on going but not far out of town her car ran off the road and she crashed into a tree, killing her. Jarrent had heard the news and couldn’t bear to tell Talia what had happened. He only told his daughter that she had left them and wouldn’t explain beyond that. 

The morning started like every other morning had since Allison had left. Talia woke up on her own, learning very quickly that she needed to set alarms for herself so she could get to school on time. The ten year old got out of bed and dressed into a pair of worn clothes that barely fit her. The jeans were too long and she needed a belt to hold them up, the shirt was ripped and had a large stain on the side. Brushing her ever growing red hair, which still hadn’t been cut since Jarret came home, and pulled it back into a ponytail.   
Talia sat in front of the cracked mirror in her room, opening the drawer she pulled out a bottle of cover up. She had stolen it from the local pharmacy after kids at school had given her strange looks when she had a bruise on her cheek from Jarret throwing a beer bottle at her. Talia had remembered her Mama had used this makeup to cover the bruises Jarret had left on her. The blue eyed girl applied the cover up to the finger shaped bruises on her upper arms. 

Once finished Talia walked out of her bedroom into the kitchen. It was a mess again and Talia knew she would have to clean it up before Jarret woke. She set to work tossing the empty alcohol cans and bottles into a box that sat by the back door. They always got thrown in the same box and Jarret would bring the empties to get more alcohol. Talia wiped up the few spills on the counter and kitchen table. Thankfully she had washed the couple dishes the night before. 

Walking to the fridge, the little girl opened it, blue eyes scanning for anything she could eat that morning. Sighing, she grabbed the ketchup bottle and closed the door. Talia pulled a chair over to the counter and used it as a step so she could stand on the counter to reach the cupboards above. This was the worst thing about being the smallest in her class, she couldn’t reach anything.

Talia found what she was looking for and grabbed the last pack of crackers from the back of the otherwise empty cupboard. She would have to get some groceries again. Sitting down on the counter Talia opened the package of crackers and started to eat them, squirting ketchup onto them so they didn’t taste so bland.

She rolled up the rest of the crackers to bring to school for lunch. Before jumping off the counter, the redhead filled a glass with water and set it down. She jumped down and took the glass of water. Walking to the living room she saw her father passed out on the couch, a friend of his passed out on the chair beside. 

Talia set the water glass on the table beside her dad, she knew he would need it when he woke up. Making sure to be as quiet as she could, she walked over to the man sprawled on the chair. She cringed as she remembered what he had done to her the previous night. It wasn’t the first time Jarret had let men into her room when she was sleeping but this guy was the worst so far. 

The girl picked up the man’s jacket from the floor and started to dig through his pockets. These guys always had money on them and she knew they gave her father money or the powder stuff he put into needles. Finding what she was looking for, Talia took a couple of the bills before putting the rest of the money back in the jacket, placing it where she had found it. This was the best way Talia had found to get food or even some clothes from the second hand store. 

The young girl left the tiny house, sighing again to herself as it was raining outside again. It was getting cold out and Talia didn’t have a jacket yet for the weather to come. Maybe if she asked Jarret when he was in a good mood he would take her to get one. She would make sure she was a good girl that day so he would have no reason to be mad at her.   
As Talia walked to school she thought about the better days, when her father was still in the army and her Mama would read her bedtime stories. Now she had to read them to herself and it wasn’t the same. Talia envied her classmates as she got closer to school and watched as their parents walked with the children, hugged them and said goodbye as they got to the building. 

It had been so long since Talia had been hugged or someone had told her to have a good day. But that was in the past now, she couldn’t focus on that. Taking a deep breath, she held her head high and faked the confidence she didn’t have anymore and readied herself for another day. 

Lunchtime rolled around and Talia said with her only friend, Spencer. She had lost most of her old friends as she became quieter and they started to make fun of her for not having lunch or that her clothes were always dirty. Spencer was the only one who had stuck by her, he was her best friend. 

Spencer was a tall, stocky boy whom Talia had known since kindergarten. He had short blond hair and even though they were young he already had strong facial features. Spencer had given Talia some of his clothes that he had grown out of, most of them were too big on the petite girl but she greatly appreciated them. Plus she liked that they were boy clothes and not the ugly dresses her father kept insisting she should be wearing when he did actually act like he cared. 

“Do you have enough to eat?” Spencer asked as he started to unpack his lunch. He had started telling his mom that she wasn’t giving him enough food and he was always hungry still. This way he would have extra to give to Talia when she didn’t have enough.

Talia gave a small smile “I have crackers” she said with a shrug and took the bag out of her pocket. She was embarrassed that was all she had, but glad Spencer wouldn’t make fun of her for it.

Spencer shook his head and pulled out the second sandwich he had and gave Talia his cookies “Here you go.” The little girl smiled thankfully. She didn’t know what she would do without her best friend. “Did you want to come over after school? Mom’s making spaghetti”

Taking a bite of the sandwich, Talia had to fight not to inhale it. She hadn’t realized she was so hungry, she could have swore the crackers were enough this morning. She thought about Spencer’s question and finally nodded. “Okay!” She liked going to her friend’s house. 

The two continued to eat their lunch “Great! Mom’s going to pick us up after school. And my brother is coming home from college too. You remember my sister Kara right? I guess when she went to college she wanted to be a boy. So now I have an older brother instead! His name is Ian now”

Talia stopped eating a cookie midbite. Her eyes widened at the news Spencer was sharing. She remembered Kara, she had taught Talia how to put her own hair into a ponytail or even hide it under a hat when she wanted to “You mean she’s not a girl anymore?” This information was confusing to the small redhead, but curiosity was overwhelming her. She could be a boy if she wanted?

“I guess not.” Spencer answered nonchalantly “She told Mom and Dad she felt like a boy and was going to be one. It was when she came home for the summer.”

Why was this the first Talia had heard about her friend’s now brother? The school year was nearing christmas break, Spencer had known this since school was done last year and he never told her! “That’s really cool” was all Talia could think to say. She wondered if she too could become a boy.

The rest of the day seemed to drag on though Talia had no idea what had gone on for the rest of her class. Her mind completely preoccupied with the information Spencer had given her at lunch. Butterflies fluttered through her stomach at the thought that it was possible to become a boy. It was what she had always wanted but didn’t know she could actually do it. 

“Earth to Talia? Hey! Mom’s here” Spencer poked at his much smaller friend, breaking her from her trance. Talia jumped at the feel of someone touching her, she hated when anyone touched it. She glared at Spencer who knew she hated when people touched her “I’m sorry, you didn’t answer me. The bell rang and my mom is here” he apologized.

Talia tried to hide the disgusted look on her face as she looked when Spencer had poked her. She could still feel his hand on her and she shuddered at the feeling. It was weird and gross, “It’s okay” she muttered, picking up her backpack “I’m sorry to” 

“What were you thinking about?” He asked as they walked out of the school to the drop off location where parents picked up their kids 

“Uh nothing, just the book that we have to read and the book report we have to do.” Talia lied as Spencer opened the back seat of the car, letting Talia in first and climbing in after her.

“Hi mom! I hope it’s okay that Talia comes over for dinner. Her dad is working late again” Spencer made up a reason, though he knew from Talia that her father was always drunk. 

“Hi sweetie, of course it’s okay if she comes for dinner.” Mrs. Adams smiled in the rearview mirror at the tiny redhead. Her heart broke for the little girl. She had heard that her mother had died in an accident a couple years back and that her home life wasn’t the best. But it wasn’t her place to get involved. 

When they got to Spencer’s house Talia followed her friend inside. She loved coming here, it was a large white house and everything Talia had read about being the perfect family home in books. Mrs. Adam’s had set out a cheese and cracker tray for the kids to snack on while they watched cartoons. The two kids decided they would do their homework so they could play more after dinner before Talia went home. 

“Hey Spence, how was school?” His brother Ian asked, walking into the living room and taking a couple grapes off the tray the kids were snacking on. He flopped down on the couch behind them “Hey Talia” 

Talia paused mid bite and looked at Ian. Was this the same person that was Spencer’s older sister before. The voice was deeper and he even looked like a boy now “Hi Kar- uhm Ian” she blushed, embarrassed.

Ian grinned “Don’t worry about it.” He said, noting the look on the small girl’s face “It’s okay, I haven’t seen you since last year. But thank you for calling my name”

Talia smiled and looked at Ian again. “Are-are you really a boy now?” she couldn’t help but ask 

Spencer sighed and stood up. “I’m going to get a drink, do you want one?” He said asking Talia, ignoring his brother. This happened all the time now. Everyone wanted to talk to Ian about transitioning and it sometimes annoyed Spencer. This was his best friend and now all she was going to do was talk to his brother. Spencer didn’t wait for an answer and walked to the kitchen. He would just help his mom for a bit.

“I’ve always been a boy. My body was just the wrong one. I was born a girl, but inside I’ve always been a boy” He tried to explain in a way that a ten year old might understand. “Now I take medicine every week to help my body on the outside match who I am on the inside. 

Talia was mesmerized, she listened to every word Ian was saying in wonderment. “How - how did you know you were a boy?” 

Ian picked up a few crackers and popped them in his mouth, he wasn’t used to getting asked these questions by Spencer’s friends but again Talia was different from his other friends. She was extremely curious and quite smart for her age. “Well I wasn’t much older than you are when I started to realize I was different than the other girls my age. I didn’t want to get my hair done or play with dolls. I didn’t care about gossip or the latest trends. I wanted to be one of the boys and it really started to hit me when I started to go through puberty. It all felt completely wrong. It wasn’t until college that I learned there wasn’t actually anything wrong with me. Everything I felt was completely normal and I was a boy, just born into the wrong body” he explained, not sure how else to say things so a child would get it. 

Picking at a piece of cheese, Talia thought over what Ian was telling her. She didn’t like anything that girls liked. She also remembered when her Mama let her cut her hair when she was little, how happy it made her feel. Everytime she looked at herself she didn’t see who she thought she should see. “Ian…can I become a boy too?” She asked, keeping her focus on the piece of dairy in front of her, afraid to hear the answer from the teen on the couch. 

Ian moved so it was sitting on the floor with Talia, he looked at the tiny girl in the worn down clothes, he noticed the makeup on her arms and face and wondered what the poor child was going through. “If that’s who you feel you are then I don’t see why not. You have to be who you want to be Talia, not who anyone else wants you to be.”

A warmth crept up inside Talia, excitement building at the words Ian was telling her. She could be whoever she wanted to be. That was something her Mama had told her when she was little. Her Mama was right, and so was Ian. She could be a boy, no she was a boy! Talia smiled at Ian, tears coming to her bright blue eyes. “Thank you” She said.

The older teen saw the relieved look on the child’s face. He watched the emotions play through her eyes as if something was clarified for her that she always wondered. He wanted to reach over and wrap Talia in a hug as he saw the tears well in her eyes but he knew better. Spencer had told his family many times that Talia hated being touched at all and he respected that. “Your welcome. If you ever need to talk I’m here okay? I’ll tell you anything you want to know.”

Talia smiled and nodded “Okay!” She said excitedly. This was the happiest Ian had ever remembered seeing the little girl and it made his heart swell that he could help be that reason she smiled. 

“C’mon I think dinner is almost ready. Want to help me make dessert” Ian stood up and waited for Talia to follow him “I know this is all new to you but have you ever thought of what your name would be if you were a boy?”

Thinking, Talia stopped walking, her brows furrowing from her concentrations. She nodded “Tala!” She confirmed and picked up her pace, now bouncing towards the kitchen. Ian smiled and followed the bouncing redhead to the kitchen where his family waited. 

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 

It had been a few weeks since Talia had talked with Ian and she had gone to Spencer’s house a couple more times for dinner. Each time she questioned Ian more and more about transitioning as he called it. It was definitely something that Talia wanted to do but learned that she would have to wait until she was older to go on the medication. 

Talia stood in front of the mirror. She had been dropped off by Ian and was glad her father wasn’t home yet. Holding a pair of scissors in her small hand, Talia looked in the mirror. She had looked up videos at Spencer’s of how to cut your own hair and now she was going to do it. Her hair hadn’t been cut in over four years. It was grown quite long and laid in heavy waves down her back. She knew her dad would be angry but she needed to do this for herself. 

Taking the scissors in one hand and a chunk of red locks in the other, Talia closed her eyes and started to cut through the hair. She let it fall and without opening her eyes took another handful and continued to cut chunks of her hair. She finally opened her eyes and her heart sank

The realization of what she had just done started to sink in. Looking at the mess that was her hair and the amount of it on the floor she started to cry. Her father was going to be so mad when he got home. She couldn’t go back now and looked back at herself in the mirror, vision blurred through the tears. The hair was uneven but for the most part to her it didn’t look horrible. She could just put her hat one. 

Talia jumped as she heard the front door slam. Fear took over as she looked at all the hair on the ground. Jarret was going to be so mad. Talia quickly started to shove the hair under the dresser that the mirror sat on, she needed to hide it somehow before her father saw. She pulled a sweater over her head and pulled the hood up to hide what she had done. 

The little girl hurried over to her bed and hopped under the covers, hoping if she pretended she was sleeping her father would leave her alone. It did actually happen sometimes. Dread filled her as she heard her bedroom door open. 

Talia pulled the covers closer against her and shut her eyes tightly, begging in her mind for her father to leave the room and leave Talia alone. She felt the bed shift as Jarret sat down. Please, Daddy don’t she begged over and over in her head. 

Her father sometimes had confused Talia with her mother. He would come into her room thinking she was Allison. Talia remembered the first time it had happened, she remembered the pain and crying for Jarret to stop but he didn’t and he kept calling her Allison and telling her everything would be okay. 

Jarret brushed his fingers down the pale face of his daughter. He had put her through so much in her short life. He owed Talia so much “I’m sorry baby girl” He whispered and leaned down to kiss her cheek “I’m so sorry” 

Talia lay frozen and confused. What was he apologizing for? She could smell the alcohol on his breath when he kissed her. He rarely did that anymore, at least in a fatherly way. The small girl didn’t move not wanting to ruin the moment 

“Alright, that’s enough. Get out of the way Jarret” A gruff voice came from the doorway. Talia was yanked roughly out of the bed causing her scream in surprise. The hand, tight around her arm, dragged her from the bed. “Say goodbye to daddy kiddo”  
Talia struggled against the grip on her arm “Daddy! Daddy help!” She cried, using her other hand to try and break the man’s grip on her arm. Fear in her eyes she met her father’s gaze. His eyes glassed over from intoxication and tears. He met her ice blue eyes for a second before looking away ashamed 

“I’m sorry baby girl” He whispered again, still making no move to help his daughter. 

“Daddy please I’ll be a good girl I promise! Daddy don’t let me go!” Talia continued to scream until a hand came across her face hard and fast

“Will you shut the fuck up you little bitch” The man who held her shouted “Daddy doesn’t want you anymore. He sold you to me so he could have more drugs” His voice taunted “Looks like he cares more about his next fix then his daughter” 

Talia stopped struggling at those words. Daddy sold me? The thought echoed through her mind, replaying over and over. What had she done for Jarret to not want her. She did everything to be a good girl. Tears flowed down her face as the man dragged her from her home. 

He tossed her into a dog crate in the back of his van. The windows were blacked out and Talia couldn’t see anything. The crate was shut and a lock placed over it “You’re going to make a lot of money little girl. I got a buyer in Toronto who would pay a fortune for someone like you. Grow your hair out a bit, get you trained. You’ll be a perfect little money maker.” 

The back of the van was slammed shut. Talia curled up in the corner of the crate, shaking with fear. She had no idea what was going to happen to her but she knew it wouldn’t be good. She wrapped her arms around her knees, laying her head on them and cried silently. Awaiting the new life that she was being forced into.


	9. Chapter 9

Trying not to slam the door behind him, Tala hurried outside before the tears started falling. He moved briskly down the front steps wanting to get far from the house. The boy stopped a few short steps from the porch, remembering he really didn’t have anywhere else he could go. The night was cool, a crisp breeze blew gently only to remind the boy of the cold to come in the next months. 

Tala swore to himself and let out a growl of frustration as he ran his fingers through his hair. The tears now falling freely down his cheeks as he stared up at the sky. Kai thought he had it easy and had no idea how hard life could be for Tala. He struggled every day with trying to be accepted and feeling like he fit in. 

Reaching into his jacket pocket, the red head pulled out the pack of cigarettes with one hand while wiping the tears away with the other. He always hated how easily he cried. It made him feel like even less of a man than he already felt every day. He took the last dart from the pack and placed it between his lips. He’d have to ask Bryan to get him more. Tala had a fake ID but he still wasn’t old enough to buy his own smokes, he swore Bryan did that on purpose. Lighting the cigarette, Tala inhaled deeply. Savoring the feel of the smoke filling his lungs, giving him a small sense of calm. He exhaled the smoke and watched it float towards the stars. 

The redhead sat down on the steps, not wanting to go back inside in case Kai was waiting for him. He wondered if he could just stay out here for the night, sleep in the back of the SUV. It was cold out for it only being the end of September but Tala didn’t care. The brothers probably wouldn’t even notice, caught up in their own problems. That was fine by Tala. He didn’t want anything to do with either of them at the moment. 

Would they even care if he ran away? He didn’t exactly need them and could take care of himself. He had done just that most of his life. It was only the past few years he hadn’t had to worry about having food, clothing or a roof over his head. But he was still independant and could do things on his own. Tala pulls his knees up to his chest and wraps his arms around them. He rested his head on his knees as he took another drag from the cigarette, thinking deeply of what he could do.

Sitting, lost in his own thoughts, Tala didn’t hear the front door open. It wasn’t until a shadow fell over him that the boy even noticed. “How long are you planning on sitting out here Princess?” The much taller male asked as he sat down beside Tala, stretching one leg down the steps and keeping the other curled up; his arm draped over it. 

Tala didn’t look up from the spot on the ground he had been staring at. Continuing to act very interested in a tiny stone on the cement walkway he shrugged. “I just needed some air,” Tala said quietly, the tears having finally stopped, leaving his eyes red and staining his cheeks. 

Bryan let out a low whistle and pulled his own cigarettes from his shorts pocket. He hadn’t bothered putting any more clothes on since the kids had left earlier. All the fabric would do was tug on the slowly healing stitches he had all over his body. One of the many wounds he would have to make sure to thank Boris’ bodyguards for. He wouldn’t want them to feel unappreciated. He offered the pack to Tala as he lit his own smoke. 

Blue eyes looked at the lavender hair beside him with confusion “When did you start smoking again?” He asked “Thought you quit a while ago?” He took the offering noticing Bryan’s hand trembling slightly, a sign of the amount of pain he was currently in.

Exhaling the smoke Bryan leaned back against the steps, allowing the cold from the concrete sooth his back “A few days ago. Needed something to occupy the time with as I’m stuck in this place” He had quit shortly after Tala had moved in, figuring if the feisty red head couldn’t get a hold of them he would stop smoking as well, not to mention how much Bryan actually hated the taste of tobacco. 

“You could go back to work? Couldn’t you?” Tala turned so he could see the other man, keeping his head on his knees. He couldn’t help but feel for him as he looked over the wounds for what felt like the hundredth time. It was a body anyone could appreciate, whether you were straight or not. It concerned Tala that after almost a week of Bryan being back from Boris’s grasp he still bore the injuries. 

Kai and Bryan healed quickly, it was one of the first things Tala had learned about them when he started living with them. Small cuts and bruises were gone within hours where it would take at least a week to completely disappear on normal people. Even when they had broken bones, burns or Bryan’s case, stitches. They would still be mostly healed within a week. Boris had done something to Bryan to prevent his body from healing itself, or slowing it down drastically. 

Bryan shook his head “Not until these go away.” flicking the end of the cigarette and watching the ashes fall, he brought the smoke back to his lips for another drag. “So that was quite the fight with Kai eh” changing the subject from himself. 

Tala looked away, “I didn’t mean to wake you” 

Grinning Bryan finished the smoke and tossed the butt towards the driveway “Eh, I’ve been woken up by you screaming before” He smirked as Tala’s face turned the colour of his hair 

‘What the fuck Bry!” Tala couldn’t look at Bryan. He was mortified. Why had it never occurred to him before that Bryan’s room was only separated from Kai’s by the small bathroom in between. Of course he would’ve heard them! Leave it to Bryan to be able to completely embarrass him with such ease. Tala stood up, now wanting to go hide in his room away from Bryan forever. 

Bryan laughed as he stood up “Never thought that through did you?” continuing to embarrass Tala. The boy was like another brother to him. It was his job to point these things out. 

Tala ran his hand through his hair “Why do you do this! Why do I even bother trying to talk to you!” He assumed Bryan took the conversation in the new direction on purpose. He had never met anyone that blatantly refused to talk about himself. He knew nothing about the tall scarred man but felt Bryan knew everything about him. How did he do it with such ease that no one questioned it. 

“Because I’m awesome” Was the reply as Bryan stood against the door, arms crossed in front of him. 

“I think you’re just full of yourself.” 

Rolling his eyes, Bryan pulled a small manilla envelope out of his other pocket “Na, I’m awesome. I’ll prove it” He offered the envelope to Tala. 

The boy raised his eyebrow as he took the envelope “What is this?” He asked, turning it over in his hands, examining the envelope as he thought it over. 

“Well if you opened it, you’d find out. I was going to wait until your birthday, but after hearing the arguing I figured you could use the cheering up.” Bryan had heard the whole conversation between Kai and Tala earlier, he hadn’t been asleep yet.

Now even more curious than before, Tala hastily tore into the envelope wanting to know what was inside. The boy’s eyes widened as he sifted through the two cards and a small piece of paper “what is this?” He was sure he knew the answer but was too afraid to be wrong.

“Congratulations Princess. You’re officially Canadian now” Bryan smirked. He was taken by surprise as Tala launched himself at him, wrapping his arms tightly around Bryan. The elder winced as the red head held on tightly, putting pressure on his wounds and bruised body. 

“How did you manage this? Are they actually real?” Tala couldn't contain his excitement as the tears of happiness flowed from his blue eyes. He hugged Bryan tightly, only to cry harder as strong arms embraced his small frame and Bryan hugged him back.

This was new for Bryan, he'd never seen Tala act like this in the time that he'd known the boy. He would get excited about things but normally still remained calm and reserved. Bryan had always known Tala wanted to be a citizen of the country. It meant he'd be able to have a healthcare provider and be able to start the transition he'd always wanted. But the boy never asked for anything and would never have asked if there was a way to get his ID when he didn't so much as have a birth certificate. “I know a guy who owed me a favour”

Tala shook his head and smiled into Bryan’s chest. He didn't want to let go and ruin this moment. This was the happiest Tala could ever remember being in his whole life. He could finally get a doctor and start the transition process. He could drive legally and not be worried about getting pulled over. If he got hurt he could actually go to the hospital. Tala existed now and wasn’t just a ghost. “I don't know why I bothered asking. You never tell me anything.” He pulled back only enough to look up at the man who saved his life years ago and still he did things to surprise Tala “thank you Bryan. I don't know how I can ever pay you back for this. I really owe you”

Green eyes looked down and met blue. He pulled his arms away from the boy and shoved them back into his shorts pockets “you could start by keeping the kitchen clean. Pretty sure that was the deal when you moved in here? How many times I gotta tell you I hate doing dishes” His face turned serious “But really, if you want to pay me back. Stop whoring yourself out for money. You’re better than that.

Tala pressed his face back into Bryan’s chest to hide his embarrassed expression. How did he find out what Tala was doing. It was the only thing he knew. He needed to make money for himself somehow. Until now he wasn’t able to get a real job because he didn’t exist, and he wasn’t about to keep freeloading off the brothers. He owed them enough “What else was I supposed to do?”

Putting his hands on Tala’s lean shoulders Bryan pulled the boy back so he could look at him “Exactly what I told you to do when I got you out of that house. If you needed money or anything I would give it to you until I could figure something else out. I did get you out of there so you could keep letting people abuse your body. You at least have a choice, so start making smart decisions.”

The red head kept his eyes on the ground and took a step back from Bryan. He couldn’t look at the elder. He knew Bryan didn’t have a choice on what happened with him, the least Tala could do was not let Bryan’s effort to keep him safe go in vain. He remembered the beating Bryan had gotten when he brought Tala home instead of the money from the man who was abusing him.

Tala held the cards and paper between his fingers as he looked over them. There was a birth certificate that even stated he was male and the name he gave himself. The driver license and health card both looked real. He was very curious as to how Bryan pulled this off “I promise I’ll stop. Only if you actually answer a question for me.” 

“Hey I just gave you citizenship, I don't want to do anymore of this mushy crap like talking about me or why I do things. It's what you wanted. You don't need to know how I got it” Bryan stated. 

Why did Tala never listen, he hated talking about himself and all but refused to do so if he could. There was no point in getting close to anyone, all it would end up doing was hurt the other person. Who knew how long Boris would let them keep up this charade or normality. Kai didn’t understand either as he continued to make friends and allow himself places in people’s lives. It wasn’t worth it. They could never truly live an actual life so why bother pretending, which was the biggest lie Bryan told himself. He had integrated himself into other’s lives as much as Kai did. He even got a job to help feel like he wasn’t just Boris’s plaything and an experiment who had no control over any aspect of his life.

Placing the new identification carefully into his pocket, Tala crosses his arms in front of him “That’s not what I was going to ask. I want to know if you are still talking to that waitress at the bar? The one you kept walking home and staying with until early hours of the morning?”

Bryan looked at Tala, he had broken him from his trance and it was like he had read Bryan’s mind with the question. He had just been thinking about how he fucked up and allowed himself to fall for someone, make friends even. The older boy looked out at the night cloaked driveway, following it as it disappeared into the darkness. “I was”

‘Why did you stop?” Tala had hoped this might be the girl for Bryan. He had never once heard Bryan talk about liking anyone or spending time with anyone before. But this girl who he worked with was different, it was obvious even just bringing her up the spark it brought to green eyes. 

Pulling the cigarettes back out of his pocket, taking his time in lighting the dart. As he exhaled the smoke he kept all his attention on the translucent trail it made as it disappeared into the crisp night air. “I broke my phone earlier tonight.” Why was Tala asking these questions? Better yet, why was Bryan actually answering them?

Tala rubbed his eyebrow as he shook his head in annoyance. Getting Bryan to talk was like getting a child to eat their vegetables. “Well then I think you should get it fixed. You seem to like her a lot, and I think she feels the same. It’s pretty obvious with how she looks at you when you're mixing drinks and working.” Tala had noticed these things the few times he’d been in the bar to get Bryan’s keys or drop someone off to him while he worked. 

Taking another drag of the smoke to avoid having to talk right away, Bryan furrowed his eyebrows as he thought about what Tala had said. Did Candace actually like him? It would make sense with the few messages over the past two weeks. She had asked how he was doing and if he was okay. She seemed curious if he was coming back to the bar or not. 

He wasn’t used to people caring about him and didn’t know how to deal with it. He had answered her that he was fine and he’d be back the following week. Apparently that wasn’t a good enough answer to stop the questions. Candace had proceeded to ask what she could do for him and it had frustrated Bryan since he didn’t know how to answer her “Well my phone’s currently wedged into the wall where I threw it” he replied while exhaling the smoke from his lungs. 

“And you say Kai has anger issues.” Tala took the cigarette from Bryan’s hand and took his own drag before handing it back, ignoring the glare from the elder. “Then I guess I’ll go get you a new phone this weekend and maybe you won’t put it through a wall again. But really Bry, go talk to her or something. She cares about you” 

Bryan rolled his eyes as he finished the cigarette. “I’ll talk to her Monday.” Hopefully this would get Tala off his case. He didn’t need to be told what to do. “Boris is home this weekend again so I won’t be able to do anything until then.” He turned to go inside, done with talking now that he couldn’t seem to get Tala to change the topic 

Tala followed Bryan back inside, it had gotten quite cold out “Promise?” He asked as he closed the door behind him. Bryan continued to walk towards his room so Tala started towards his. They were done talking and the events of the day hit Tala hard has exhaustion caught up with him.

“Sure” the lavender hair muttered as he went to his room. He looked as his phone embedded in the wall near his bed. Why was it so hard for him to just talk to Candace. He wanted to open up to her but had no idea how to go about it. He could never tell her truth, not that she’d believe him if he did. Yeah sorry I haven’t been around. The scientist who owns me was home and decided I wasn’t a good boy and needed to learn my place. He rolled his eyes at the thought and how fast she’d probably call the police on him and he’d be shipped to a loony bin. 

Swearing quietly Bryan pulled the phone from the wall and turned it over in hand. It was definitely broken, the screen was shattered and the corner that hit the wall first was deeply dented. He tossed the phone on his desk and opened the top drawer. He wasn’t about to start thinking about Candace or anything else for that matter. He picked out a small wooden box from the top drawer of the dresser, his body already getting excited with the need for the contents. 

He may not be able to get drunk, but opioid drugs were another thing entirely. Bryan could lie to himself all he wanted but at the end of the day he knew he had an addiction but it stopped the pain, both mentally and physically and that was the only thing that mattered.

Setting the box on the dresser Bryan took out the small syringe and the vial of morphine. He had taken a couple vials from the lab since his usual drug of choice wasn’t cutting it anymore. His body needed stronger drugs than before as Boris continued his relentless experiments. Filling the syringe with the clear liquid, Bryan set the vial and the syringe down. He had done this hundreds of times over the years and it was second nature to him. 

The upside to his body’s metabolism is the cells regenerated at a much quicker rate, contributing to his youthful looks which also hid some of the more awful side effects of hard drug use. From looking at him, you’d never be able to tell he had been using for almost nine years. 

He tied a rubber band around his bicep to help locate the vein he wanted. Once satisfied he picked the syringe up, his body all but vibrating from the anticipation of the numbness that was to come. The consistent pain was driving him crazy and it was taking everything in him to remain sane anymore. He stabbed the needle into the vein, pulling the plunger back slowly, adding a little blood to the mixture before pushing down and injecting the liquid into his vein. He leaned back against the wall, sliding down slowly as he undid the rubber band, letting the drug start it course through his body. 

A small boy no older than five walked cautiously into the office where a loud booming voice could be heard yelling at someone. Lavender hair poked around the door frame as big green eyes found the source of the noise. “Papa?” He was clutching a small book to his chest

The yelling man stopped, he was on the phone with a coworker of his. The small voice of his son breaking him from his conversation. He looked at the small child standing in the doorway. His son knew he was to stay away from his father’s office. Why was he here? The man said something in the phone, hanging up and set the phone down “What is it?” 

The boy tiptoed into the office, he barely stood even the dark oak desk taking up the majority of the room. The boy’s father sat in a large leather office style chair. The boy walked over to his father and stood in front of him. He knew he wasn’t supposed to be in here but he needed his dad. With his mom being away at work at the time he didn’t see either of his parents often. “Can I colour in here? Maria said I couldn’t stay in the kitchen any longer as she was going to be making dinner” 

The man looked at his child. He had the same lavender hair as his father and the piercing green eyes of his mother. He was small for his age but that could change as he got older. What interested the man the most was the intelligence the child seemed to have at such a young age. He was already years above academically of those in his year at school. He was in advanced classes learning subjects of those four and five years older than him.

The father stood from his chair and looked down at his son. “I think I have a better idea Bryan. Why don’t I take you to work with me? You can see your mother and my boss has said he would like to meet you.”

Bryan’s eyes widened with surprise. His small mouth forming an ‘O’ “Really? I can go to your work? I get to see the cool things you and mama are doing?” He had heard many times of the experiments his parents had been working on. They assumed Bryan was too young to understand the terminology they were using but the boy understood it all. When his parents weren’t home he would read the medical and scientific books in his father’s office. He wanted to learn it all and be just like his parents when he got older. 

“Yes, I think it’s time.” Bryan’s father looked at the boy, hiding the sadness in his voice. He hadn’t agreed with his wife on bringing their son into the project but after so many failed attempts they needed to start getting better results or risk being shut down. If he was lucky Bryan wouldn’t pass the first trial and they could bring him home as not a good fit. “Go get your coat and meet me at the door” He watched his son run off excitedly, having no idea of what to expect.

The man picked up his cell phone and dialed his wife’s number, waiting for her to answer as he walked out of the office and towards the front entrance.“Yes, I’m bringing Bryan now. Wave 14 starts Monday, that will give us the weekend to prep him for what to expect. No, I think we should prepare these children, clearly our other efforts are not working. The serum Boris has created will work, we just need a child who can withstand the process and you’re right, Bryan’s intelligence will surpass anything we could ever expect.” 

Bryan had heard everything his father had said to whoever was on the other line. His jacket had been in the closet near the front entrance. He stood in the closet and listened to the conversation. What project was his father talking about? Was Bryan going to get to help with a project? Did his father think he was smart enough to be of use for him? This excited the boy even more as he popped out of the closet once his father was off the phone “Okay, I’m ready”

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Monday morning had come much quicker than Kai had wanted. He laid in bed staring at the ceiling while his alarm blared beside him. His head hurt and his body continued to protest the detox he was putting it through. Finally with a heavy arm he leaned over and shut the alarm off his phone. 

He had texted Olyvia the previous night, wanting to talk to her. He needed to apologize for his behaviour but his green haired friend said she refused to accept an apology over a text and they could talk at school. 

This made Kai dread the day to come even more. First he had to stay sober and second he was supposed to have a meaningful conversation while being sober? Those two things did not mix in his mind even remotely. Staring at the white ceiling, he thought back to the not so pleasant conversation Bryan had had with him the morning after the dance when he had been hungover as fuck.

“Yo get the fuck up!” A voice shouted as Kai was suddenly soaked with ice cold liquid. The blue haired boy jumped from the noise and the water, swearing loudly in the process. His head instantly screamed at him to be quiet as the start of a hangover pierced his brain. 

“What the hell!” Kai muttered, curling into a ball, and covering his ears from the air horn that was now blasting in the room. His brother had got the point across, could he fuck off now. Kai’s head and body were killing him from the dehydration as the alcohol from the night before had left him. 

Bryan blasted the horn again. If Kai thought he was going to sleep this hangover off, he had another thing coming. After talking to Tala earlier that morning as the redhead got ready for school, (Why a school dance was on a Thursday Bryan would never understand.) he had learned that Kai had not only pissed off Tala that night but had also upset Olyvia quite a bit with his idiocy. That was enough for Bryan to play older brother and get his idiot of a younger brother to smarten up. 

“Get up, you’re not sleeping anymore” He said blasting the horn again. He finally stopped when Kai started to move, realizing he wasn’t going to get to go back to sleep.

“Fine, what time is it anyways?” Kai sat up, squinting his eyes against the horribly bright ball of fire that was searing his retinas through the large open window. He could have sworn he had those closed before he went to bed. 

Bryan shook his head and tossed a water bottle at the glaring crimson eyes in front of him “Almost 8, Tala’s already off to school and I’m taking it you seem to think you’re too hungover to go?” 

Kai caught the bottle with ease, he may be out of it but his reflexes were still perfect. “Obviously, which was why I was still sleeping” He muttered, taking a sip of the water “What are you doing?” 

“Trying to get you to stop being a dumbass and ruining what you actually have of a life. How many times do I have to keep telling you to stop getting drunk all the time?” He asked, sitting down on a chair across from Kai. 

Kai looked at Bryan. How could he be such a hypocrite? Chances are Bryan was stoned right now while he was trying to talk to Kai about sobriety. Yeah that was golden “Why does it fucking matter what I do? It helps make the days easier”

Letting out an aggravated sigh, Bryan tried to keep his cool “Because you don’t need it. You get along just fine without being drunk all the time. Then every once in a while you seem to think you can't survive without the shit.” He looked his brother in the eyes “Look I’m not telling you to stay sober all the time. I get it, have fun. It’s the constant trying to stay intoxicated. You're an asshole when you're drunk and after what you put Liv and Tal through last night I think you need to do some reevaluating there bud.” 

Taking another sip of the water Kai shook his head as he met the green eyed gaze. “You could start practicing what you preach there. I don’t think you can talk to me about sobriety when you probably can’t even remember the last time you were sober” 

The elder boy couldn’t even deny that fact. He knew what he was and he knew he had it under control. “The difference between you and I though is the fact I can hide and have control over it. I have a reason. You deal with what I do and you can stay as high as you want. Until then just smarten up” Bryan got up, there was no point in trying to keep talking to Kai right now. The damn teenager wouldn’t listen to him. He left the room, shutting the door, leaving Kai to do whatever he wanted. He wasn’t his fucking parent and he was sick of playing the part all the time. 

Kai had remembered that conversation and thought back to the night of the dance. He had been a dick to Tala who still was barely talking to him. It would make the drive to school that morning uncomfortable. Knowing he had upset Olyvia had bothered him as well. The two of them were his rocks and he chipped at both of them in the same night. 

Taking Bryan’s advice he decided to stop popping pills and drinking. He wouldn’t say he’d stop completely but the continuous intoxication was done. It was going to be a rough couple more days as his body adjusted to the lack of drugs in his system but he could deal with that. He was going to fix things with Tala and Olyvia. Bryan wasn’t going back to school so maybe he could fix things with Max and the rest of his old friends too?

Getting out of bed Kai got dressed in his usual dark jeans with a graphite long sleeve shirt. He picked up his bag and jacket, leaving the bedroom. He didn’t need much and it never took him long to get ready in the morning. He never understood why it took Tala so long to get ready each morning. Kai could get up, dress and grab a bite to eat in less than ten minutes. Tala on the other hand took at least an hour to get ready each day. 

Kai walked out of his bedroom, he noticed Bryan’s door still shut. Guess he wasn’t lying when he said he wasn’t going back to the high school. Kai wondered how the older boy managed to get Boris to accept that. 

The two toned haired boy sauntered into the kitchen. Tala was already sitting at the table sipping on a coffee. “Are you ready to go?” Kai asked as he took a travel mug from the cupboard, pouring the coffee inside. 

Tala nodded as he stood up, bringing his bowl to the sink and running water in it to rinse it out “Sure, let’s go” The red head was still not impressed with Kai and had no intentions of forgiving him so easily this time. It wasn’t that he was mad at his friend, he was just sick of Kai thinking he could do no wrong and get away with everything he did. 

Not waiting for Kai to follow, Tala stepped into his shoes and grabbed the keys to the SUV off the table beside the door. Bryan had said Tala could basically have the vehicle since he’d be driving Kai to and from school everyday. He walked outside, leaving the door open, knowing Kai wasn’t far behind. 

The two silently got in the vehicle and Tala started towards the school. The drive was uncomfortable, neither knowing what to say to the other and not sure if anything should be said. Finally Kai couldn’t take it anymore “Look, how many times do I have to apologize? I said I was sorry?”

Tala rolled his eyes and continued to look at the road “You’re always sorry Kai, do you even think before you do things? Everything has a consequence and just seem to think you're above them. You embarrassed me in front of Miriam. You also upset Olyvia who thinks you don’t want to be around her and can’t do anything with her if you’re sober. Then you run off with the new kid, leaving your date by herself, and start making out with him?”

Kai’s face remained expressionless as he turned away from the steel blue eyes that had glared over at him. Okay, he hadn’t really thought of it all that way. It did make sense now why Olyvia was so upset with him now. He had ditched her for Rei but by that point she was already mad at him so why did it matter. “Okay, I get it I fucked up. You don’t have to keep rubbing it in” 

The red head shook his head, why did he even bother trying to get kai to understand what he was attempting to explain to him. He didn’t answer and stayed quiet the rest of the drive. Parking the SUV when they got the highschool, Tala got out quickly. He started his morning routine of lighting a cigarette to enjoy on his walk to hell, leaving Kai to figure himself out for the day. 

Running his fingers through his hair, Kai finally got out of the car. This was the last place he wanted to be but he didn’t have much of a choice. He needed and education and this was the place to get one. He slung his bag over his shoulder and started towards the school. Olyvia was supposed to be meeting him at his locker, whether she was actually there he didn’t know. 

Kai spotted the petite green haired teen leaning against his locker. She had her pink headphones in and was texting away on her cell phone as she listened to the music. The taller boy tapped his best friend on the shoulder to get her attention as she obviously didn’t hear him walking up. 

Olyvia paused her music and pulled out the headphones. She looked up at Kai, meeting the chocolate coloured eyes that melted her insides. She could get lost in those eyes for days “Morning Kai,” She said curtly, as she stepped aside so he could get into his locker 

“Hey Liv” Kai replied, spinning the combination into his lock. He wasn’t sure how to go about the conversation. Why no one would just accept an obvious apology from him was getting annoying, his friends were making him work for their forgiveness that was for sure. Once his things were in the locker he leaned back against the cool metal and glanced at Olyvia. He had no idea where to start 

Olyvia waited expectantly for her friend to apologize. He owed her that much and more for his behaviour the other night. It was uncalled for and embarrassing, it had ruined her whole night and she had cried to herself to sleep wondering what she had done wrong “Well?” She asked, raising her eyebrow waiting for an answer 

“I don’t know what you want me to say. I tried to say sorry last night and you said it wasn’t good enough. I don’t know what you want from me.” Kai said finally as purple eyes glared daggers at him. Olyvia may be small but she was feisty for someone her size and never backed down. The first bell rang signally everyone to start for their first class. 

“It’s not just an apology I want Kai. I want an explanation. What did I do that was so bad that you felt the need to be so drunk you were barely coherent? If you didn’t want to go to the dance that’s all you had to say. I can’t read your mind. There’s times you seem to enjoy doing things with me and then all of a sudden it’s like I’m just a burden you tolerate. I don’t deserve that.” Olyvia looked at Kai, his eyes focusing more on the ground than on her. She knew he had trouble with words and showed things better with actions. His actions had been loud and clear lately that he didn’t want anything to do with her. 

Kai shook his head. “It’s not that at all. You’re one of my best friends Liv. I need you more than you realize. The past couple weeks I’ve just been worried about my brother. He got into a bad accident” He used the lie Bryan had given Kai and Tala, neither knew exactly what happened but both suspected it had to do with Boris. “You saw him the other night. He’s hurt and I was getting stressed about him. I didn’t mean to take it out on you. I do enjoy our time together. And I promise it won’t happen again.” 

Olyvia wasn’t sure if she should believe her friend. She knew he wasn’t lying about being worried about his brother. The eldest hadn’t been at the school in over two weeks and when she and Miriam had seen him at Kai’s he did look awful. The second bell rang before she could answer him “I don’t know Kai, let me think about it. You really hurt me. You know that right?” 

Kai nodded, he didn’t know what more he could say to get the small green haired girl to forgive him. The hall was emptying as students herded their way to their respective classrooms. “I guess I’ll see you in art class?” 

“I’ll see you then” was the short answer by the shorter girl. She shrugged her bag so it rested more comfortable on her shoulder before walking across the hallway into her first period. Olyvia was still hurt but she could see that her answers hadn’t been what Kai was expecting, she didn’t want to hurt him either but couldn’t forgive him as easily this time. 

Brown eyes watched the green head bounce to her classroom. He stayed in the hallway until the morning announcements had started. This was going to be a long day, having to sit through all his classes with either Tala or Olyvia, both who were quite upset with Kai at the moment. This was the last place he wanted to be. 

Deciding against dealing with the two people who were mad with him, Kai opened his locker back up and took out his bag. He tossed his books back in the locker and flung his bag over his shoulder. It was nice outside, he could go to his favourite place and wait the day out. He sent Tala a quick text saying he would be back when school was done. That would at least keep the redhead from texting Bryan about Kai’s whereabouts as he skipped school. 

Kai was about to open the door to the outside when it suddenly pushed forward towards him. He jumped out of the way at the last second. If it weren’t for his speed, he’d be on his ass right now with a bloody nose where the door would have smacked him in the face. Instead he was meer inches away from the door as a dark blur rushed inside. 

“Of fuck! I’m sorry I didn’t see you there!” Rei said quickly as he almost hit a student with the door. He was running late that morning. Kevin had been dragging his feet and taking forever to walk to school, getting distracted by everything. This had caused Rei to start running late and having to run the rest of the way to his own school to avoid being late. 

Raising his eyebrow in amusement, Kai laughed quietly at Rei as he continued to apologize “Rough morning?” He asked, noticing the sweat on Rei’s face from running. His hair sticking up all over the place in a wind blown look. 

Rei froze instantly at the deep familiar voice. He could listen to Kai’s voice any day. There was a light accent to it that was more prominent depending on the words he spoke. It wasn’t near as obvious as his brother’s. “Oh shit! Kai I’m sorry! Yeah I’m running late. Kev-” He stopped talking when he realized that Kai wasn’t in class like he should be and seemed to be going the wrong way “Wait. Shouldn’t you be in class?”

Kai shrugged. He didn’t know what it was about the golden eyed mess in front of him but Rei amused him and fascinated him at the same time. There was just something adorable about the black haired boy that drew Kai to him. “I was thinking it’s a nice day outside and I didn’t want to waste one of the few good days left inside. Care to join me?” Kai was surprised with himself that he had asked Rei to skip with him. 

Taken back, Rei wasn’t sure what to say. Of course he wanted to spend the day with Kai but would his mom be mad with him for skipping. Well of course she would be but he could deal with that later. The boy wasn’t about to turn down spending a day with his crush. “Yeah for sure. Where are we going anyways?” Rei asked curiously as he followed Kai outside, away from the school. 

“I haven’t really thought that far. If anyone tags along it’s usually Liv and we usually head to the ravine and fuck then get lunch” Kai glanced sideways at Rei “Pretty sure you’re not down for that.”

Rei blushed a deep red. Of course he’d be down for that but he couldn’t exactly say he’d be cool with it. His heart skipped a beat as Kai looked at him. “I...uhm maybe” He gave a small cough, shocked by his own response and hoping Kai didn’t hear. “Uh I don’t know the city very well, you could show me some cool things in the area?” Rei tried, changing the subject as he looked everywhere but towards the taller teen with the smirk on his face.

The two boys continued to walk away from the school. Kai leading the way, he wasn’t really sure what he was going to show Rei. One thing he did know for sure was they needed coffee before they started any kind of adventure.

It was a beautiful day outside, the sky was a bright blue with not a cloud to taint it. The sun was bright and warmed their skin as they walked. Kai stopped at a small independent coffee shop. It looked like a regular victorian style house complete with white siding and a pale yellow trim along the sides. 

“This sweet German lady owns this place. She makes everything herself.” Kai said as he walked up the steps, opening the door for Rei “Bryan and I used to come here all the time and she would give us cookies. She makes everything from scratch.” the boy continued to explain. 

“Kai, Sind sie das?” Kai, is that you? A voice questioned as a small round elderly woman walked towards the boys from around the corner. Rei wasn’t sure what language she was speaking but could only assume is was German. 

Kai smiled and leaned down to hug the woman as she opened her arms. She was like the grandmother Kai had never had, he cherished the elder woman and helped her whenever he was able to. “Ja Frau Becker. Wei geht es die heute?” Yes Mrs. Becker. How are you doing today?

Rei watched in astonishment at the interaction between the two. He didn’t know Kai knew German, though he didn’t really know anything about Kai now that he thought about it. Rei remained quiet and stood by Kai as he continued to hold a conversation with the owner of the shop. 

The woman took Kai’s hand and continued to talk to him as she all but dragged him towards the kitchen. He looked back at Rei apologetically and mouthed that he would be right back. He hadn’t come to visit Mrs. Becker in a few weeks and she was doing well to remind him of that. She continued to tell Kai that he was too skinny and needed to eat more as she put together a small care package for the two boys.

Mrs. Becker asked about Bryan and how he was doing and that he needed to come visit her more while she walked around the kitchen gathering items to put in the bag. Kai could only smile and answer the questions to the best of his ability. He had told her already that they were only here for coffee and really didn’t need anything else. The older woman was not talking no for an answer and even began scolding Kai for trying to refuse her offer. 

Finally Kai returned to Rei carrying a cloth bag that looked ready to burst at the seams and two paper cups of coffee. He said his goodbyes and the two walked out of the small coffee shop “I’m really sorry about that. I figured it would be her grandson working at this time. She usually doesn’t work Monday’s and claims that’s her day off” Kai explained as he handed Rei his coffee. He set his backpack down and shoved the bag of food inside. At least they would have lunch and a snack for later 

Rei smiled “Don’t worry about it.” He took a sip of his drink. It had to be the best coffee he had ever had. That woman knew how to brew a cup of joe. “I didn’t know you knew German.” 

Kai nodded as he picked his bag and coffee up. The two started to walk again. There was a shortcut through the warehouse district not far from where the two were. It would take them to the ravine that was Kai’s ultimate destination “There’s a lot you don’t know about me.” He gave Rei a faint smile “Yeah I speak German, Russian, Italian and a few other languages.”

Rei was impressed, and also surprised at how easy it was to talk to the slate haired teen beside him. There wasn’t any of the tension he had felt the first day he had met Kai. He seemed almost easy going and a lot more relaxed that he was when his brother and Tala were around. “What made you want to learn languages?” 

“My uncle insisted that Bry and I learn them. He’s always said the more you know the more beneficial you are to society.” Kai took a sip of his coffee “What about you. Do you know any other than English?”

The black haired boy shook his head “Not really. I know a very little Mandarine but not enough to hold a conversation. Where’s your brother been anyways? I haven’t seen him around school” He didn’t want to say that his mom had also been worried about Kai’s older brother and Rei was wanting to be able to tell Candace he was fine so she would stop worrying so much about him. 

Kai let out a small sigh. “He uh dropped out of school. He had failed last year and was repeating the year. I think he finally decided he’d rather just work for our uncle then be in that hell for another year” 

Rei nodded. He looked around at where they were going. He had no idea where Kai was leading him but the area they were was not the posh and well kept part of the city he was used to seeing. Rei knew the area he lived in wasn’t the best but it felt a lot safer than this did. 

The buildings were aged and many had broken windows and were boarded up. Graffiti covered much of the old architect. Even though the sun was shining brightly, the area still held a dark gloom to it. Rei instinctively moved closer to Kai. “So where are we going anyways?”

“It’s a shortcut to the park. Don’t worry, it’s really not that bad. The people around here tend to stick to themselves.” He could feel Rei continue to tense beside him “I’m pretty sure most of them are vampires anyways. They stick to the shadows and avoid coming out” He said, trying to lighten Rei’s mood and calm his nerves. “So what brought you guys to Toronto? It’s just your mom and your brother right?”

Rei nodded, his jaw clenched tight as an uncomfortable feeling crept up his spine. “Uh, yeah it’s just us.” He appreciated Kai asking questions to distract him. The buildings started to look worse, some of them now had bars over the windows. “My mom tends to move us everytime she breaks up with her boyfriend. So we move quite a bit. We came from Kingston, it was nice there and we were there for a couple years. I think it was the longest we’d ever lived anywhere.” Rei’s voice trailing off as he swore he heard footsteps coming towards them. 

“Just keep walking” Kai urged, he had heard the footsteps before he questioned Rei about moving. He wanted to keep Rei calm and hopefully avoid any sort of conflict “It’s not much farther, just past those warehouses to your left” Kai said quietly, his training starting to kick in as he subtly surveyed the area. 

He looked for more threats, he was sure there were two maybe three people behind them. He expected that they would have friends up ahead. The boys were being herded and Kai knew he would need to protect Rei “Please don’t freak out,” Kai started, instantly feeling Rei stiffen beside him. “Calm down” 

“I don’t know how you expect me to calm down when you tell me not to freak out” Rei muttered back, keeping his eyes facing forward even though all he wanted to do was look behind him to see for himself if they were being followed. 

“Don’t look back” Kai warned, keeping his voice barely above a whisper “There’s a couple guys behind us and I’m almost positive at least one more will come out of that warehouse with the green writing on it.”

Rei couldn’t stop himself and he quickly glanced behind him. Sure enough, three rough looking men were walking about 20 feet behind them. Rei sucked in a breath of air as his head snapped back to face in front of him “Why are they following us” 

Kai rolls his eyes. How hard was it for people to just listen. He said not to look back. “Probably plan on mugging us or something.” As if on cue, two more men stepped out of the warehouse Kai had pointed out. He smirked to himself on being correct from where the men came out of. Bryan would be proud that he actually paid attention to his training. 

The men looked to be in their mid thirties, heavily tattoos wearing dark similar dark Tshirts and jeans. The one man had a long messy looking beard and wore a baseball hat on backwards. He was holding a bat and tapping it against his opposite hand 

“Looks like you boys are in the wrong part of town. Are ya lost?” The man with the bat asked as he and his partner walked in front of the two boys, cutting off their exit. 

“Who said we're lost?” Kai stated, shrugging his bag off his left shoulder. He’d need to be able to drop it quickly if this resulted in conflict. He took a sip of his coffee as if to show he wasn’t scared at all. Which he knew was the exact opposite of the smaller teen beside him. 

“You’re a cocky one aren’t ya? LIttle bit of a pretty boy to be in these parts. You know this end comes with a fee right? I’m sure you never learned that in your little prep school did you” The man said, hitting his hand with the bat again as the other four men surrounded the boys. 

Kai yawned, he was bored now and this power trip these guys were playing was annoying “Hmm I must have forgotten my wallet. If you let us go, I can totally get my father to wire you money” sarcasm dripped from his voice. 

Rei looked over at Kai, enraged that the blue haired boy was acting like this. Kai had money, why didn’t he just give these guys what they wanted and they could be on their way. Rei looked around at the other men circling around them. They looked ready to attack whether they got a payment or not 

“Listen here you little fuck!” The man spat “We’re gonna beat the shit out of you for that. You got a pretty face too. I’m sure my buddy would love to fuck that smirk off of there. How does that sound? Maybe your little friend would like a turn as well” 

Rei’s face whitened at what the man was implying. They were going to get beaten and raped! What the hell were they going to do? “Kai stop, just...just give them what they want okay?” He was visibly shaking beside the strangely calm teen. 

Kai leaned close to Rei “No questions asked, when I say duck. Drop to the ground, got it?” Rei nodded quickly, he had no idea what Kai was talking about but he had no choice but to trust him. 

The blue haired boy looked bored, he shoved his hand into his jeans pocket “I dunno, I was hoping you’d come up with something more than a few punches and a dick in my ass. That sounds like a typical Saturday night to me” If only the men surrounding him knew the accuracy of that statement. 

“Shut your fucking mouth kid!” The man standing near the beard guy shouted. He had an oversized grey hoodie on with the hood pulled over his head. He pulled a gun out and aimed it at Kai “You're about to get your ego knocked right down. You honestly think you can get away?”

“No I don’t think I can get away, I know I can get away.” Faster than any of the men, including Rei could see, Kai whipped a small knife from his pocket and flung it at the man with the gun. It struck perfectly in the front of the man’s shoulder. Causing him to drop the gun and then to his knees and he screamed in pain. “Duck!”

Rei jumped at Kai’s shout but did exactly as he was told and dropped to the ground. He couldn’t believe what he had just seen. How did Kai do that so quickly and with such precision? Rei crawled away quickly as a fight unrolled all around him. The remaining four men paid Rei no attention as they all went for Kai. 

Kai caught the fist of the first man that got to him. He spun around, using the momentum of the punch to flip the man over him and slamming him on the ground before twisting the hand between his fingers. A satisfying pop as he dislocated the man’s shoulder, Kai let go and ducked as the bat was swung towards his head. 

The boy shot up and caught the beard man with a punch to the side of his face. Already turning from swinging the bat, the pressure of the punch caused him to lose his balance and he staggered as he tried not to fall. 

Two down, three to go, Kai calculated as he backed closer to the warehouse behind him. Making sure not to give space for any of the men to get behind him. He watched beard man catch himself before falling, in his peripheral he saw the two remaining men walking towards him like predators stalking their prey. 

“Ready to play boys?” Kai taunted, urging the two men to come after him. This was almost like the training exercises he had done. Who knew he’d actually be using what he’d learned in the real world. 

Letting out a cry of rage the two men rushed Kai, intending on bringing the brat down. Kai sidestepped the first attacker and jumped to catch the second man with a kick the face, keeping the movement going he wrapped his legs around the man’s neck and flung his body backwards. The man dropped back causing them both to hit the ground hard, Kai tightened his grip with his legs, blocking off the man’s airways.

Kai was yanked off the man who instantly gasped in the air like a dying fish. Strong arms wrapped around him in a choke hold “Got you now you little shit” The man snickered as he started to tighten his grip around Kai’s neck. The boy went still, staying calm and let the man think he was winning. Once again with a speed that shouldn’t be possible and strength that any regular teenage wouldn’t possess, Kai flipped the man over him and slammed him down on his back. He grabbed the man’s hair and pounded his head twice against the concrete, knocking him out. 

The blue haired boy stood up, cracking his neck and rubbing it. He’d have a bruise from that soon. He locked eyes with the beard man who held his bat, ready to attack the boy “What are you?” The man asked. This teenager shouldn’t have been able to knock his men down, much less do so without even breaking a sweat. 

“Pissed off” Kai replied darkly, pulling a second blade out of his pocket. “Now can you let my friend and I go?” He asked, eyes narrowing as he flipped the blade open 

The man dropped the bat and put his hands up in surrender. He wasn’t stupid and knew when he couldn’t win a flight. He’d get this kid back one day. He’d seen him walk through these parts all the time. He’d see him again and next time he’d be ready. 

Kai held the blade and walked over where his fallen backpack was. It was wet thanks to his coffee spilling all over it. “That’s what I thought.” He looked at Rei who was staring bug eyed and terrified at Kai from beside a dumpster, he knelt down beside it and used a metal box to shield him from the fight “Coming?”

Rei stood up quickly, wobbling on shaking legs but was too afraid to keep Kai waiting. He nodded and hurried over to stand with his friend. Kai shrugged his bag over his shoulder, flipped the switch blade closed and put it back in his jeans pocket as the two walked away as if a fight had never happened. 

The golden eyed boy remained quiet, so many questions burning through his mind. What the hell had just happened and where had Kai learned to fight like that. It was like what you would see in movies. It didn’t seem possible for any regular human to move like that. He stayed quiet and lost in his own thoughts as the two walked out of the warehouse district. 

Kai let Rei ponder his thoughts. He knew the boy would ask him questions when he was ready. He only hoped that Rei would still want to be his friend after what he had seen. Kai had never used any of his training outside of the lab and exercises before. He had always been good at keeping his enhancements hidden and appearing as normal as possible. Finally Kai looked over at Rei, they were already in the park and close to where Kai wanted to bring the dark haired boy “Can you say something?”

Rei broke from his trance as he shook his head. His mouth was dry as he opened it to try and talk “I-I don’t even know where to start? What the hell was that?” Rei blurted out. He hadn’t meant to be that blunt but there was no simple way to say anything about what had just happened. “Are you like a ninja or something?”

“Or something” Kai answered, leading Rei off the path of the park and down a barely visible trail. “I’ve been doing mixed martial arts since i was a toddler. It’s all self defense training” Kai explained, trying to avoid going into too much detail that his story became unbelievable 

“MMA my ass. That was like some Jackie Chan shit that you see in movies! Moves like that aren’t possible! How do you even do that?” Rei kept asking, his mind blown and unable to comprehend what he had witnessed. He knew now he had to get into that laptop. Maybe there was something in there that would explain what he had seen. 

Shaking his head slowly Kai kept walking, keeping his eyes on his feet and where he was stepping even though he knew this area like the back of his hand. He spent a lot of time hiding in this ravine. It was like a sanctuary to him. “I swear that’s all it is. I’m just really quick on my feet. It just looked faster because those guys were a lot bigger so they move slower” 

The black haired boy wanted to believe his crush. He finally nodded, deciding to accept the reply Kai was giving him. “Still impressive. So uh where are we now?” Rei asked, changing the subject as he knew he wouldn’t get a better answer. 

“You wanted to see my favourite parts of the city. Well this is it.” Kai said, leading Rei through a brush of trees into an open clearing. A waterfall to their left trickled down into a clear pool below. Grass blew like waves to their right as a wall of trees encased the small clearing.

The first thing Rei noticed was the quiet. He couldn’t believe how peaceful it sounded. He couldn’t hear the roar of the city at all. No traffic or people talking or anything. It was like being in a tiny world all to yourself, completely away from everything. “I can see why you like coming here” 

Kai hesitated before tangling his fingers through Rei’s, leading Rei down towards the waterfall. “It’s quiet. You almost forget you live in the biggest city of the country when you come here” 

Rei looked at his hand entwined with Kai’s. He hoped his hand didn’t start sweating as he got nervous. He let Kai lead him down to the water. Rei had never seen anything so beautiful and serene. He could stay here for hours or hell even days. 

The taller boy sat down on the grass at the edge of the pool, pulling Rei down gently beside him. “I really hadn’t thought of what to do beyond this point. Most of the time I just nap” Kai said, feeling awkward suddenly. What was he supposed to do now? He wasn’t an entertainer. 

“Why don’t we see what your German grandmother gave you for snacks? I’m starving!” Rei said, breaking the nervous tension between them. He regretted the suggestion instantly when ai took his hand out of Rei’s to open his bag to get the food that had been sent with them. 

Kai pulled out the bag of food and set it between the two boys. He began unpacking the lunch and laying the variety of baked goods in front of them “Mrs. Becker makes some of the best bread you’ll ever have” Kai proceeded to hand Rei one of the sandwiches that she had made them

Smiling and thanking him, Rei took the sandwich from Kai and took a bite. It tasted like heaven in his mouth. Now that he thought about it, it was similar to the breakfast sandwich Bryan had given him when he was over last. Maybe this was the place he had gotten it from. “Wow, this is really good.” He took another bite and watched the water cascade over the rocks and into the pool below. 

The two boys continued to eat in silence. It wasn’t uncomfortable but the two intentionally dragged out eating the food as neither of them were sure what to do next but at the same time not wanting the time together to come to an end.

Kai finally broke the silence as he took a sip of water “So have you ever dated guys before? Like are you gay?” 

Rei choked on his bite of food and started to cough. He was not expecting Kai to out right ask a question like that and it had caught him off guard. He took the bottle of water from Kai and drank it to clear the food from his throat. “I mean well kind of? I started seeing this guy at my old school but we turned out I guess to not really work out.” he looked at the bottle, examining the label “But it was probably for the best, we moved shortly after that. What about you?”

“I wouldn’t say I’m gay. I don’t really have a preference. Like I’ve fucked Olyvia a bit and Tala and I had a thing for a while. But never really dated anyone.” Kai scratched his head. Would he and Olyvia be considered a couple? They did a lot of things couples did but he only thought of her as a good friend. He knew he wasn’t in love with her, but he couldn’t say the same about the feelings she had for him. 

Rei took in the information Kai was providing, based on it he wondered if he even had a chance with the hot blue haired boy beside him. He knew he had a crush on Kai but was that all it was? He’d had crushed on other guys before but this felt stronger than any of them. 

Rei looked at Kai who was focused on the water. He took in the strong jawline and a small scar near his hairline. He was well built and lean, it was evident even with Kai wearing a jacket. He scanned over Kai’s face, taking in all the details of his nose which was almost perfect though it looked to have been broken at one point. His eyes glanced down to Kai’s lips, how he wanted to kiss them, taste Kai and feel his hard body against his. “Hey Kai?”

Kai turned when his name was called and locked eyes with golden spheres, they held a hunger to them that Kai was fully aware of. As if they could read each other’s minds the two moved in close, lips crashing together as they kissed. The hunger between them grew as Kai climbed into Rei’s lap, deepening the kiss as his hands cupped either side of Rei’s face. 

Rei’s arms slid behind Kai’s back pulling him closer against him, needing the feel of Kai’s body against his. The two explored each other’s mouths, memorizing the taste of the other. Kai kissed a trail down Rei’s jaw and his neck, pausing briefly to pull Rei’s sweater over his head, exposing the tanned skin beneath it. 

Kai let out a small growl as he shifted, pushing Rei back down on the grass and crawled up his body. Rei gasped at the sudden position change before welcoming the weight of Kai against him as the other boy lay on him, bracing himself on his forearms as his lips met Rei’s again. The battle for dominance starting again. 

Rei wasn’t sure how long the two had been kissing, he didn’t care and he didn’t want it to stop. His head spun with the lack of oxygen reaching his brain but it felt great. Everything about this moment felt great, until it was rudely interrupted by Rei’s cell phone blasted into the silence. 

The boy groaned as the weight of Kai lessened as the boy sat up, still straddling Rei’s waist. A sudden cold of losing the warmth of the other boy against him sending a chill through his body. The two of them panting as they tried to catch their breath, the annoying sound of the phone stopping only to start again moments later 

“Should you get that?” Kai asked between breaths. He didn’t want to move and was quite content having Rei pinned underneath him. 

“I’d rather not, but she won’t stop calling until I do” Rei responded, annoyed that his mother would pick the worst time to call him. He tried to sit up only to raise his eyebrow as Kai made no motion to get off him “I...can’t exactly get my phone with you sitting on me.”

Kai leaned over Rei, kissing him briefly as he reached over the boy for Rei’s sweater. “I don’t plan on getting off” Kai whispered into Rei’s ear “I’m not finished” he said, nibbling on the teen’s earlobe as he dug the phone out of the pocket of the sweater. Kai sat back up and handed the phone to Rei as it stopped ringing again. 

Rei moaned quietly as Kai nibbled his ear. He pouted when he felt Kai’s weight move again, glaring at the blue hair as he sat back up, offering the phone to Rei “Why is she calling”

Rei looked at his phone to see multiple text messages from Candace and the two missed calls “She probably found out I skipped school and was pissed” He assumed that would be the case. He was about to check the texts when the phone started ringing again. He let out a sigh “Hey mom” he answered.

Kai could hear the shrill voice on the other end. He listened to Rei talk to his mom and try to reassure her that he was fine. Kai decided this was probably a conversation he shouldn’t be overhearing so reluctantly he got off Rei and started to pack up the remains of their lunch. Kai walked over to stand by the water when he was finished, giving Rei the privacy he would want. 

Rei finished the conversation with Candace and hung up the phone. He was right, she was pissed but overall had just been worried that something had happened to Rei. It made him feel bad for at least not letting her know he was okay when she had texted him the first time. Rei picked up his sweater and pulled it on as he walked over to Kai by the water “Uh. I have to go home now. I need to pick up my brother.”

The slate haired boy nodded. He would have been surprised if their day wasn’t cut short by the phone call. “Yeah I should probably get back to the school anyways. Tala will be pissed if I’m late and he has to wait for me.” Kai gave Rei a small smile “Thanks for coming with me today.”


	10. Chapter 10

The Hiwatari Program 

The purpose of the Program is the creation of the perfect soldier. By creating these soldiers the Russian Army will have an advantage if needed in an upcoming war or unrest. This program could be sold to our Allies for further advantages in each Militia.

Definition of Perfect Soldier:  
Physically stronger - strength up to 10x that of average man  
Withstand elements - body temperature adapt to extreme heat and cold  
Altitude changes - lower oxygen levels will not affect soldier  
Less nutrients and water requires - will be able to maintain strength with very limited nutrients  
More intelligent and strategic - able to calculate through problems almost instantly  
Higher stamina - 10x longer than average man  
Enhanced healing abilities - heal 15x quicker than standard human  
Highly obedient - will not question those higher in command  
Low range of emotion - little to no remorse

The program is divided into two sections. Section one will use humans, ranging in age, to be tested in many ways to see where enhancements will need to be made. They will be stronger and more intelligent than the average human. Strength and stamina will be 8 to 10 times that of the average man. These enhancements will be done by injection of various serums developed by top rate scientists.

Section two will create embryos and inject the serums directly into the growing fetus. The reason behind this will be to test if age and development can be further enhanced before the infant is out of the womb. If these subjects prove positive it could be an evolutionary breakthrough in human development. 

April 18, 2002

Phase One

Twelve new subjects have been chosen. After previous experiments it has been proven that the age of the subject is crucial to the adaptability of the Hiwatari Program. One male and one female subject has been chosen for each age group ranging from five to ten. 

For phase one the subjects are expected to go through a series of trials. These trials will test the subjects physically and mentally while monitoring their stress levels. The results of these trials will allow us the information needed to determine if the subject will continue on to phase two of the Hiwatari Program. 

The physical trial has been adapted from military standard testing. Each subject will complete the following timed assessment  
2 mile run  
1 mile swim  
100 pushups  
75 pull ups   
½ mile obstacle course

The mental trial will be a standardized military intake test. The subjects scores will be calculated from both trials and used throughout the Hiwatari Program. The subjects will repeat these trials through the course of the programs to evaluate the success of the serums produced. 

A table is provided below with a photo of each subject, name, height and weight. This information will be used as the trails continue to report the information on each child to use for the next phase of the trials.

The screen went black as Rei went to click on the link in the report that would bring him to the list of subjects. “Hey! What happened?” Rei asked the computer as he started to press random buttons on the keyboard, wanting to bring the screen back to life. 

“I don’t think you’re ready to see that information” The computer replied. Rei rolled his eyes. He’d been arguing with the damn machine on and off over the last several hours. Why did Kenny have to put an actual brain in his computer that let it think on its own?

Rei groaned and leaned back on the couch. He had been trying to access the information on the computer since Kevin had fallen asleep. After seeing Kai fight off the thugs earlier that day he couldn’t stop thinking about the laptop and how it could answer the many questions that continued to build in Rei’s mind. 

“You can’t tell me what I can and can’t see! Open the screen back up” Rei argued back with frustration. He needed to see that chart. If there was a picture of Kai in there it would answer so many questions. He still couldn’t believe that there was even such a thing as a human experiment program. Those hadn’t been a thing since the second world war. 

The screen remained blank as Rei continued to jab at buttons determined to get the file back up “If you continue to hit the keyboard like that you’re going to break it.” Golden eyes rolled again, how was it even possible for a computer to convey sarcasm. This thing must be quite advanced. He had to give Kenny kudos, Rei had never seen such intelligence in a machine before. 

Finally giving up, Rei set the laptop on the table beside the couch. He ran his hands through his hair “Fine. But I don’t get why you’re trying to keep this from me. You don’t even know what I want with the information” 

“You wouldn’t have stolen me from Max if you didn’t want the information Kenny found. It’s dangerous and would be much better off if it didn’t exist” 

“I told you already, I didn’t steal you. Max lent you to me” Great, now he was lying and having an argument with a chunk of metal and wires. Maybe he was going crazy. “I don’t see how this stuff is dangerous though. It just seems like a science experiment to me? It’s probably fake”

The computer screen lit up and started to play a blurry video. Rei turned his attention to the screen, full of curiosity. He watched as very young children appeared to be running through an obstacle course that was designed for adult men. He saw a young boy who appeared to be the smallest in the group climb a 20 foot wall with apparent ease. “It wasn’t fake, many have died finding out this information” The computer said quietly, closing the screen down again. “Kenny’s curiosity got the better of him and if you’re not careful the same people will come for you” it warned.

Letting out a sigh, Rei closed the laptop, even more questions going through his mind. The boy on the screen looked familiar. He couldn’t make out the face as the video wasn’t clear but the hair colour was familiar. He picked it up and carried the laptop to his room, placing it under his mattress where it wouldn’t be found by Candace or Kevin. The last thing he needed was his mother questioning him on where he got the computer knowing full well they couldn’t afford it. 

Rei looked at the time, Candace would be home shortly and had said she wanted to talk to Rei before he went to bed. It was one of her early nights at the bar. The boy decided to shower, it would give his hair time to dry before he went to bed. Maybe tomorrow he could convince the computer to let him read more about this Russian experiment.

Starting the water, Rei stripped and stepped into the shower, letting the hot water pound against his back. Max obviously knew about the computer and the information on it. He thought back to the conversation he overheard between Max and Kai. They knew something about this experiment and watching Kai fight earlier that day, it was obvious he was connected somehow. 

Rei stayed in the shower running through all the information he had. Nothing was making enough sense to connect the dots. He wanted to learn more, and had so many unanswered questions that it was starting to be aggravating. 

The water turned cold, breaking Rei from his trance. He shut it off and got out of the shower, drying off and dressing quickly. As he walked out of the bathroom, Candace walked through the front door. 

“Rei sweetie is that you?” Candace asked as she placed her purse on the round kitchen table. It had been a long night and she was exhausted. She took her phone out of her purse, clicking the screen on. She shook her head as she still didn’t have a response from Bryan. Was it something she had said? They had been talking frequently the end of last week into the weekend and suddenly he had stopped replying again. 

Candace put her phone back in her bag, not letting herself get upset. She barely knew the man but already cared for him deeply. There wasn’t time for that, she had her boys to take care of and one of them was getting himself in trouble. 

“How was work?” Rei asked as he walked into the kitchen, towel drying his hair to get more of the excess water from it. 

“It was good, we had a good rush for dinner. Struggled a little again with the new bartender. It would be nice if Bryan came back. He made drinks quickly and never messed up” She walked to the fridge and got the jug of water, pouring herself and Rei a glass. “We need to talk about today.” Candace wanted to get right to the point. She was tired and wanted to get to bed.

Rei took the glass from his mom. He took a sip, dragging out the time so he didn’t have to answer his mom right away. “I asked Kai about Bryan. I guess he’s been working for his uncle a lot lately. Maybe he’ll come back” He hated seeing the sad look in his mom’s eyes when she thought of the bartender. 

Candace only nodded, Rei wasn’t getting off the hook that easily. “Well that would be nice, but he makes good money working for his uncle. Anyways. Why did you skip school today” She was tired but this conversation needed to happen. Rei’s mental state was fair at best, Candace hadn’t had a chance to get him transferred to a new therapist since they had moved and she needed to make sure he was okay. 

Golden eyes rolled as Rei let out a dramatic sigh. He hated when Candace got like this. Why did it matter if he skipped school once here and there. He kept his marks up and stayed out of trouble. “I was already going to be late because Kevin was taking too long to walk to school. I didn’t want to get in trouble so I just didn’t go” He left out the part about Kai offering to skip the day and the two hanging out. 

“That’s not the point Rei, you can’t be skipping school. You didn’t even let me know or anything. When the school called saying you hadn’t shown up I got worried” Candace looked at her son as she set her water glass down “I thought something had happened to you.” 

“But nothing did. So it’s not that big of a deal” Rei said, getting defensive. He already knew how the conversation was going to end, why not stop dragging out the inevitable “So am I grounded”

Candace nodded “You are. Straight to school, home and work. That’s it for two weeks. Nothing with your friends and I should be taking that cell phone to, not like you answer when I call” 

Rei shook his head, his anger starting to build “What the hell! Two weeks just for skipping school. That’s bull! And I need my phone, what if someone needs to get a hold of me?” He countered, this wasn’t fair at all. He wondered if Kai was getting in trouble for skipping. He doubted it, it seemed like he could do whatever he wanted. Sometimes Rei wished he had it as easy as his rich friend. 

Holding out her hand, Candace gave Rei a no nonsense look “That’s enough Rei, you know full well there’s consequences for your actions. You can’t just do whatever you please.” She kept her voice calm as Rei’s rose. She knew he was getting upset and needed to calm him down. “We’ll knock it down to a week but you’re not getting off scot free”

“You’re not taking my phone, I don’t care that you pay for it. It’s mine!” He wasn’t about to give up his connection to his friends. He wasn’t lucky enough to have a computer like the rest of them to communicate. Plus he wanted to text Kai and he only had his cell phone number.

“That’s enough Rei, you’re acting like a child. You lived perfectly fine without a phone before, you’ll be okay for a week” She was surprised Rei was being so defensive over a phone. He had never cared in the past whether he even owned one or not. 

“Fine whatever” He growled. Taking the phone out of his pocket, Rei made sure to turn it off before tossing it on the table. No way he would leave it on for Candace to go snooping through his phone. “Happy now?” 

Candace picked up the phone and set it in her purse. She was still surprised by his outburst. She thought about her next question and walked to the far side of the table, keeping it between them. “Yes, thank you.” She looked at her son “I need to ask sweetie, are you sure you're still taking your medication? You’ve been quite irritable lately. I know I haven’t gotten you into a new doctor yet.”

Rei’s pupils slit, appearing catlike as his anger rose. Was she being serious? Of course he’d been irritable. She was down his throat all the time constantly wanting to know where he was and what he was doing. He had to watch his brother all the time and cancel plans with his friends to work. All because she had to keep moving them all over the damn country “Are you fucking kidding me? Of course I’m taking the damn medication. You ask me every morning like I’m a toddler!” His voice rising with every word 

Candace took a step back, fear starting to build. This was what she had been afraid of, she should have waited until he had a chance to calm back down before continuing the conversation. She looked at his eyes, knowing her Rei was gone. She should have just left the topic alone but she was concerned for her son. After what happened in Kingston she needed to be more aware of her son to prevent something like that from happening again. It had happened before but the last time was by far the worst. She could’ve lost her son for good. “Rei, sweetie, calm down. I’m sorry I asked.” She said as calmly as she could, keeping her voice level while inside she started to tremble

“Calm down? Fuck woman you want me to calm down? You’re the one that started this!” He replied coldly. Shoving the table aside, removing the only barrier between him and Candace, Rei walked towards her like a hunter stalking its prey. He towered over Candace “What’s wrong? Scared this was going to happen? Don’t like me too much do you mom” sarcasm dripping from the voice that was deeper than usual. 

Taking another step back, Candace felt the wall behind her, there wasn’t anywhere else for her to go. She prayed that Kevin stayed sleeping. She didn’t need her youngest to see his brother like this “I’m sorry Rei, I really am. Please” When had his medication stopped working? She hadn’t noticed any of the usual signs but again, she hadn’t noticed them in Kingston either until it was too late. 

Rei rolled his eyes and grabbed his mother’s arms tightly, shaking her “Your sorry? Your fucking going to be sorry” He growled again, shoving her hard against the wall with each ‘sorry’ “Give me the phone back, forget you grounded me and stop trying to control me” The boy in front of Candace stated, letting her go. 

The small woman nodded, tears pricking the back of her eyes. “You can take it” she whispered, defeated as Rei let her go. She stood completely still as the boy who claimed to be her son stormed over to her bag, dumping the contents carelessly on the table to retrieve his phone before stalking off to the bedroom. 

Candace slid down the wall, her legs unable to hold her up as she shook violently. The episodes were happening more frequently and it didn’t seem like medication was helping much. She hoped that it was only because he had been drinking with his friends at the school dance. She thought her son had more sense than that and understood that it would affect the effects of his medicine. 

Finally calming down enough to be able to stand, Candace got up and walked to the table. Thankfully the episode wasn’t as bad as they had been before. She knew she would have bruises on her arms and most likely her back but there were no holes in walls, so that was a win. Candace gathered the contents of her purse and put everything back, glancing at the closed bedroom door. 

One thing that was always consistent is Rei never hurt Kevin, as long as it stayed that way she could deal with him. It hadn’t been as bad when Rei was younger. He would have these outbursts but Candace had more control and was able to help him through them better. It seemed as he got older and bigger than her that he started to use it as an intimidation tactic and that was when he began to get physical with her. The doctors had warned her when he was young that this was possible but Candace never wanted to believe her sweet, sweet son could be such a monster. 

\-------------

Kevin walked out of his bedroom, Rei was still sleeping like every morning. Kevin always woke up before his brother. He really liked the time he got to spend with Candace every morning. He rubbed his little eyes as he yawned and walked into the living room. His mom was already awake and sitting on the couch with her morning cup of coffee 

“Morning mommy” Kevin said through a second yawn as he climbed up on the couch and curled up against Candace.

Candace smiled and kissed her son’s head. “Good morning baby. Did you have a good sleep?” she asked as she ran her fingers through his tuft of bedhead. Kevin liked when he got head scratches as he called them every morning. The little boy nodded as he closed his eyes and leaned into Candace enjoying his morning cuddle before having to get ready for school. 

“Mommy? Are you always going to have to work late? I miss it when you tuck me in and read me stories before bed. Rei tries but he isn’t as good at stories as you are” Kevin said after a few long moments of silence. It had been something the young boy had been thinking about. He missed Candace being home when he was done school.

Candace let out a small sigh and gave a faint smile to her youngest. “No baby, hopefully soon I’ll be able to get a different job that I won’t have to work so late. I miss our story time too baby.” It stung her heart hearing how much her youngest missed her. She did admit she was working a lot and did need to find a job with better hours. For being such a large city, Toronto was quite hard to find work in and even harder to find affordable housing. It took most of her paychecks just to pay the rent on their tiny basement apartment. 

“C’mon why don’t you help me make french toast for dinner. I think we even have some icing sugar we can sprinkle on top of them” Candace said, sitting up and nudging Kevin to get up as the two walked to the kitchen. It put the little boy in a better mood as he got the eggs from the fridge and pushed a chair to the counter so he could reach and help Candace. 

The two continued to make breakfast together, Kevin telling Candace all about what he did at school and his friends. He had told her there was going to be a halloween party in his class and they were going to parade to the other classrooms and collect candy. “It’s going to be really cool mommy! Do you think I could be a superhero? Like Chase from Paw Patrol?”

Candace finished cutting up Kevin’s breakfast as the boy bounced to his spot at the table. She helped him sprinkle the icing sugar on the food and set a glass of water down for him “I think you can. I’ll go to the store next week and see what I can find. The costumes should be coming out soon.” She thought about what bill she could push off to make sure Kevin got his costume and even some little candies to hand out to his friends. She tried to give her children things when she could and Kevin never asked for anything. 

“Morning Mom, morning Kev” Rei’s voice broke through the conversation between Kevin and Candace as he walked into the kitchen. Rei stretched his arms above his head as he yawned and walked over to get a cup of coffee. “You make french toast? What’s the occasion?” the boy asked as he made himself a plate.

Kevin grinned through a mouth full of food “Mommy is going to let me be Chase from Paw Patrol! Can we go trick or treating too?” The boy asked as he shoved more food in his mouth. 

Rei raised his eyebrow at his mother who only gave a small shrug. They didn’t really have the money to buy a character costume, they were so overpriced. “Uh that’s cool Kev. Uh hey mom. Here’s my phone. I thought I gave it to you last night. I must have forgotten” The boy said, placing the phone on the table beside Candace. 

Shaking her head, Candace pushed the phone back towards her son “Don’t worry about it sweetie. How about we call it even and you make sure to answer the phone if I call you okay? It’s a big city. I just want to make sure you're safe” plus she didn’t want another episode like last night. Once again never remembering his outbursts. She glanced at her arm quickly, making sure the shirt she wore still covered the deep bruises from the previous night. As long as she was careful they would remain covered until she got dressed for work.

Shrugging, Rei took the phone back, confused. He was sure he had been grounded last night and it was his fault, he had skipped class. “You sure?” He asked as he picked the phone back up and shoved it in his pocket. He wasn’t going to argue, he would miss his music too much to want to offer the phone back up. 

Candace nodded, taking a sip of her coffee as there was a light knock on the door. Rei and Candace both exchanged a look of confusion. Who could that be? The rent had been paid and the bills were up to date so it shouldn’t be the landlord “I’ll get it?” The petite woman announced as she stood up. 

Opening the door, Candace was shocked by the man on the other side. Towering over her wearing the jean jacket he always wore and the combat boots that made him taller than he already was, was Bryan. He looked nervous as he held out a tray with two coffees and an orange juice “I uh, owe you an apology” the deep accented voice muttered, scratching the back of his head nervously. 

Butterflies fluttered through her chest as the tiny woman looked up at the large man in front of her. She swore he was even taller than she remembered and it had only been a couple weeks. She noticed the unsure look in his eyes as he avoided making eye contact with her. “Why don’t you come in?” Candace offered, stepping aside to let Bryan in. She wanted to be mad at him but that feeling instantly melted, the look in his eye breaking her heart as he appeared defeated and not at all the confident man she was used to being around. 

The lavender haired nodded as he followed Candace inside. Tala had convinced him to finally come and just talk to her. Bryan really didn’t think this was a good idea, sure his body may finally be healed thanks to Boris over the weekend but it was going to happen again. He and Kai couldn’t continue to keep acting like they were normal, eventually they would have to be what they were created to be. 

“Sorry for coming over like this. I uh, brought drinks for you guys?” Bryan held out the tray for Candace to take, ignoring the glares from Rei as the boy stood up to see who had come to their home so early in the morning 

“What are you doing here?” Rei demanded, earning a shove in the shoulder from his mom.

“Be nice, he brought you a coffee. Take Kevin and you two go get ready or you’re going to be late” Candace chided, handing her son the drink, knowing he would take it. The boy never could say no to caffeine 

“Kai and Tala are waiting outside. They were going to give the kids a ride-” Bryan’s sentence was cut off as Kevin ran out of the kitchen. The boy had heard the familiar voice and got excited to see the older man. 

“Bryan!” the boy squealed as he launched himself at Bryan, the older catching him with ease. Candace couldn’t help but laugh at the look on Bryan’s face when the small latched onto him, giving him as tight of a hug as his little arms could. 

Candace gave a sympathetic smile. “Well it looks like someone missed you. C’mon Kevin, you need to get ready for school. It sounds like Bryan’s brother is going to give you a ride.”

The little boy unlocked his arms from the embrace and wiggled until Bryan set him down. “Do I get to ride in the really cool car again?” He asked, not waiting for an answer as he bounced down the hallway to his shared bedroom to get his school bag. 

“You don’t have to give the boys a ride to school” Candace said, stepping aside to get Kevin’s lunch ready for him 

Bryan shrugged and leaned back against the wall side the entrance to the kitchen “Kai wanted to give Rei a ride, they can take Kevin to. They won’t mind”

The dark haired woman nodded as her two boys came back to the kitchen. She handed them each their lunch “Ok, you two behave yourselves and Kevin don’t forget to say thank you to Kai and Tala for driving you to school okay?” She looked up at her eldest “I can pick Kevin up today, I’m not going to work a double so I’ll be able to bring him home” 

Rei raised his eyebrow “Are you sure? You’ve got a pretty expensive costume to buy him, should you really be turning down the extra work?

Candace smiled, her son worried too much about money. They would always be fine but she couldn’t deprive her sons on the small wants they had. “It’ll be okay, I can work extra on the weekend when the tips are better anyways. Now off you go”

Rei let out a sigh, but nodded anyways. He would try and pick up a few extra shifts at the theatre to help. The boy herded his younger brother out the door. Kevin kept talking to Bryan and Rei all but had to drag the small boy outside. He was nervous about seeing his crush but the more he talked to Kai, the easier it seemed to get. After the previous day, he started to feel more comfortable around him. 

Once the boys had left, Candace started to clean up the kitchen. It was a part of her usual morning routine. After the boys had left for school, she would clean the dishes before starting on other house chores that needed to be done before she would head off to work. “Did you want anything to eat?” She asked as she started filling the sink to wash dishes 

Bryan shook his head, he didn’t understand why he felt so awkward. He’d talked to Candace many times and it was always so easy, why was it so hard now. “No thanks, I had breakfast already” He lied and walked over to the counter and picked up a towel, drying the dishes as Candace washed them 

“You don’t have to do that, I can let them air dry.” She stated, smiling to herself as he continued to dry the dishes. “So, where have you been?” Candace had never been one for small pointless talk. She got to the point quickly. 

Focusing on the plate in his hand, Bryan continued to dry it. He had come up with a couple believable lies with Tala but at the same time, he didn’t want to keep lying to her. “I had to go out of town with my uncle for a bit.”

Candace was skeptical but nodded anyways “So what does your uncle do? You’ve never really mentioned that or what you do for him” she pried 

“He’s an investor. I was with him while he was looking into new business plans” It wasn’t a complete lie, he had been stuck with the man most of the past couple weeks and Boris did lend money out. It was Bryan’s job to go collect that money when the loan timeframe ran up. 

Finishing the last of the dishes, Candace dried her hands off as the sink drained. She was getting frustrated with how vague Bryan was being with his answers. “Are you coming back to the bar? It really hasn’t been the same without you. I’m sure they’ll still let you have your job” 

Smirking the taller man leaned back against the counter, hands resting on the edge. “They won’t fire me. I’m too good at what I do, plus I bailed the owner out of having to claim bankruptcy a while ago. I technically co own it.”

Candace raised her eyebrow and looked up at Bryan, surprise evident on her face “I don’t understand how someone as young as you can have the money you do…” she stated. Her face turned serious as she crossed her arms over her chest “You’re not selling drugs are you?”

Shaking his head and putting his hands up in defence against the tiny woman “No way! I told you before, my uncle pays me well. I’m technically down as one of his employees so he pays me what he pays them. It's just a lot more than I really need” It was a small part of the truth. He had a lot of money and most of it came from Boris, the man just didn’t know it. 

‘Is that why you’ve paid my rent for the next five months?” Candace accused still keeping the serious look “I’m not about to be a charity case Bryan. I didn’t ask for you to spend money on me”

Keeping his hands up, Bryan shook his head again and let out a sigh. He could tell she was getting mad and that had never been his intention. He could smooth talk his way out of anything, why did this tiny human intimidate him and make him stumble for words when they normally came so easily “That’s not why I did it. I know you can take care of yourself and your boys.” he sighed again and rested his hands back against the counter “I’m- I’m not very good with words. The only way I really know how to apologize is with money. It’s what usually works”

The look on Candace’s face softened as she shook her head slowly. “You really are like one of those little rich boy’s who thinks money solves everything aren’t you” She looked up at him, a small smile on her face 

Bryan gave a small shrug and a sheepish grin “It’s always worked in the past…” 

Candace walked closer to Bryan, wrapping her arms around his waist as she looked up at him “You really are something Bry. I don’t want your money. Okay? I just don’t want you to disappear on me like that again. You really had me worried” She barely came up to Bryan’s shoulder. 

“I didn’t mean to worry you” he replied, hesitating before putting his arms around her “I didn’t really know what to tell you”

“The truth is always nice. I care a lot about you but I feel I barely know you.” Candace rested her head against him, listening to the steady heartbeat through his chest. She had been worried and had even lost sleep over it, scared that something had happened to him 

If only Bryan could tell her the truth. He stayed quiet and held Candace close. He hadn’t realized how much he missed her and how much it hurt to know that he had caused her worry. “I’m sorry” he answered finally. He had never been afraid in his life, but knowing how much he actually liked the woman in his arms terrified him.

\----------------------

Lunch time rolled around and Rei walked out to the usual table with Tyson and Emily. They wouldn’t be able to do this much longer as the days started to get colder. “So Rei you down to come to Julia’s party with us on Halloween? She throws the best parties ever. Her parents blow loads of money to make sure there perfect” Tyson started to go on as they took their seats. Max and Hilary were already seated with Eddie, Miriam and Olyvia. 

Rei had noticed their circle of friends had started to grow. Olyvia and Miriam showed up on occasion before but now hung out more frequently with the group. Kai and Tala would be joining them once Tala had finished a cigarette or two. Rei liked that about Tala, he was respectful about his bad habit and never smoked near the group. “I don’t know Tyson. When is it? I have to make sure I don’t work”

Tyson groaned as he sat down beside his girlfriend. Hilary smiled at her boyfriend and set a paper bag in front of him. She would bring lunch for both of them, trying to get Tyson to stop blowing his allowance on cafeteria food. She insisted he should be saving for college. “It’s on Halloween it’ll be great. We can head there after Max is done taking his sister candy collecting”

Kai and Tala joined the rest of the group “What about candy collecting?” Kai asked as he took a seat beside Olyvia, she still wasn’t overly impressed with him but was coming around and was at least being civil when they were around other people. 

Max laughed “I have to take my sister Trick or Treating. You’re welcome to join Rei if you have to take Kevin out” the blonde offered assuming Rei’s mom would work and the task of collecting candy would be left on Rei 

Talking with a bite of sandwich in his mouth, Tyson piped up “Man remember the old days when we went trick or treating? Those were the days. We should totally do it again!”

Kai stayed quiet as he focused on the grains in the table. The group went on about the memories and past experiences they had on Halloween nights past. “You have any good stories about halloween?” Rei asked Kai, breaking the blue haired boy from his thoughts. 

Shaking his head, embarrassed about not having normal experiences like this friend. “No, I’ve never been out for Halloween. My uncle has alway been to over protective and he always worried something could happen” the boy lied

“Woah! Seriously dude? You’ve never been out collecting candy with your buds? Wearing scary costumes and that?” Tyson exclaimed, not realizing he was embarrassing Kai even more. 

Tala glanced over at his friend while he continued to talk to Miriam and Emily. He knew Kai hated being the centre of attention and didn’t do well with embarrassment either. He noted the situation in case he’d have to get kai out of it. 

“Like I said, my uncle didn’t really like things like that. He would just buy up a candy and we stayed home” 

Tyson couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Kai was 16 years old and had never had the joy of going around the subdivisions and collecting candy from complete strangers? Scaring younger kids that were acting like they were the shit. “Dude! Then that answers that question. We’re totally going out before we go to Julia’s! You gotta experience this man!” 

Kai shook his head “We’ll see okay? I still haven’t had a chance to talk to my uncle if I’m even allowed to go. The party is on the weekend and he likes for Bry and I to be home when he is.” the slate haired boy liked his friend but he hated the focus being on him. 

“Why don’t we play it by ear Ty?” Max could see Kai was getting uncomfortable so tried to distract his eccentric friend. “We’ll come up with costume ideas and if Kai is allowed to go out then we will. Can’t force him to come if he’s not allowed.”

Letting out a groan of frustration and just wanting the plans to go his way, Tyson nodded. “Alright, fine man. But you gotta at least come to Julia’s for a bit.” He said with a grin. 

Kai gave a small nod. He saw Tala getting up out of the corner of his eye and immediately got up to follow him, relieved in the chance to get away from everyone for a moment. 

Tala started to walk towards the tree that he, Kai and Bryan would stand under. “Tell me again why you wanted to be friends with them again?” the redhead asked, irritated as he lit a cigarette. He knew Kai needed a break and took the opportunity to leave knowing his friend would follow. 

The other boy leaned against the tree. They really weren’t that bad of a group to be around, plus it gave him more opportunities to be around Rei. Even if they didn’t talk much at school. “I don’t know. I just kind of missed them I guess.” 

Exhaling the smoke and shaking his head, Tala took another drag before speaking “It clearly makes you uncomfortable. What would you do at the party anyways? Liv is clearly going to expect you to be attached to her for the night and I’m sure you’d much rather be with the new kid” 

Kai rolled his eyes “He has a name Tal. Stop referring to him as the new kid all the time.” he scolded. “Why do you hate him, you don’t even know Rei?”

Tala gave a shrug and glared at school in front of them. He was jealous that Rei could be with Kai and he couldn’t. “It doesn’t matter. You just need to start being careful like your brother keeps telling you. The more you integrate into their lives, the harder it’ll be when you have to leave.”

“Who said anything about leaving? I’m not going anywhere” Kai countered. Did Tala know something he didn’t? Kai knew Bryan and Tala were close, in a different way than Tala and Kai were, had Bryan told Tala something that he hadn’t told Kai?

“Just be careful okay. Something seems off about him.” With that Tala tossed the finished butt to the ground as the bell rang.

Kai stayed back as he watched the red-head walk to the school. His friends got up from their table, probably still chatting about Halloween as they made their way to the school building. Maybe Kai could convince Boris to let him go out. The man seemed more lenient lately, though Kai had no idea why. It was worth a try, the worst he could say was no. 

The boy waited until most of the kids were inside the building before starting to follow the tail of the herd inside. He wanted to avoid talking to anyone right now and just finish his school day and think about what was going to happen on Halloween.


	11. Chapter 11

The next couple weeks passed by in a blur. The night of the Halloween party had creeped up faster than expected. Kai was in his room, getting ready for the night. He was nervous about the night ahead.

Kai looked down at his outfit, wondering if he should try to come up with something else. Olyvia had decided what he was going to wear and had come up with the costume before he had even agreed to going to Julia’s Halloween party. 

The ensemble consisted of very fitted ripped black pants, which Kai wasn’t sure how he was supposed to sit with them on. They left very little to the imagination and made him feel vulnerable. For the top all he was given was a worn black leather vest that he couldn’t do up even if he wanted to. Liv had found a pair of leather vambraces that Kai had tied up over his forearms. The outfit was finished with combat boots and a pair of fake metal swords across his back to form an X.

Tightening the belt for the second sword, Kai looked at himself in the mirror. He had to give Olyvia credit, she did know what looked good on him. His red eyes only accented the outfit and went well with it. It was the first time Kai was going to go out without contacts. It would be nice to see perfectly for once and not have his sight muted by the contacts he always had to wear. 

The first time Olyvia had seen them, Kai had lied and said he got into a bad accident when he was a child. He hated lying, but he couldn’t tell her the truth, couldn’t tell any of them the truth. He was nothing more than a lab rat who got occasional freedom so the scientists could plan more tests and experiments on him and his brother. Sometimes he wondered what had ever happened to the rest of the children back at the lab. Boris had only taken him and Bryan and it was never explained why. 

Kai was going to meet the guys before the party and go out trick or treating. No amount of trying could convince Tyson otherwise. When the eccentric boy got an idea in his head, there was little anyone could do to change it. Kai didn’t understand why Tyson was so insistent on the activity. They were too old to be doing something like this and Kai knew he would be embarrassed. 

Sighing, crimson eyes locked onto the unopened bottle of vodka sitting on the top of his dresser, he longed to down the bottle and numb the anxiety creeping through his body. He tore his eyes from the clear liquid to look over his outfit in the mirror. He promised Tala he wouldn’t get completely wasted anymore. Kai picked up the bottle and shoved it in the top drawer of the dresser, he didn’t need the temptation but also couldn’t get himself to get rid of it. 

Running his hand through his hair, Kai groaned and walked out of his room. Maybe he could fake being sick? The only one knowing he was lying would be Tala and the red head probably wouldn’t care about not going out that night. Or maybe he could tell Max that he and Tala would just meet him at Julia’s? His blonde friend wouldn’t ask any questions and he was better at dealing with Tyson anyways. 

Kai walked towards the kitchen, he could hear someone fumbling around in the cupboards. “What are you looking for?” He asked the taller man who was digging through the cupboard above the fridge, it was the one that usually held the alcohol. 

“Well I was looking for a drink, but when you said you got rid of everything. I didn’t think you meant all of it” Bryan complained, turning around and leaning with his back against the steel fridge. “Is that what you’re wearing tonight?”

Looking down at his outfit, Kai shrugged “Yeah. Liv picked it out” He looked over Bryan’s outfit “Beats being dressed like a dog”

The green eyed man rolled his eyes and shook his head, ignoring Kai’s comment about his outfit. He wasn’t dressed like a dog. He was supposed to be a firefighter from a show that Kevin liked. “Really doing a good job at blending in and staying hidden there aren’t ya?” 

The shorter boy glared at his brother “You’re one to talk. You’ve been spending almost every night with Candace the past few weeks. You’re body’s more fucked up than mine, I’m sure she’s noticed that…” 

Bryan let out a sigh, Kai was annoying when he was in this mood. “Not that it’s any of your business, but I haven’t slept with her. Clothes on equals no questions.”

Kai was surprised by the answer. It must have been evident on his face as Bryan rolled his eyes for the second time and grabbed the bottle of water that was beside him on the counter. “Unlike you, I don’t tend to fuck everyone.” 

“Questions about the scars or the track marks?” Kai jabbed with a smirk, trying to lighten the sudden tension with a joke

“Fuck off” the lavender hair muttered as he pushed past Kai, clearly not seeing the humour in that statement. He grabbed his keys from the table near the door. “Don’t be stupid tonight.” He warned, leaving Kai alone in the kitchen.

The teen stared at the door with disbelief. He hadn’t expected that from Bryan at all. He assumed his brother was a bit of a whore and slept with half the drunk girls at the bar. Why else would someone at his age want to own a business? Rubbing the back of his neck, Kai started towards Tala’s room. He wondered if the red-head was ready yet. They should be leaving soon if they wanted to pick Rei up on time and get to Max’s.

Kai knocked softly on the door “Tala?” He questioned, opening the door slowly before waiting for an answer. He liked Tala’s room. It was definitely the best smelling room in the house and the cleanest. Tala had a thing for making sure everything was always put where it belonged. 

There were two bookshelves in the room, packed full of a variety of books, all of which the redhead had read. The bed was made perfectly and the rest of the surfaces on the dressers and desk were completely bare. Clutter drove Tala crazy and he was constantly on the brothers' cases about cluttering the kitchen counter with dishes and leaving things lying everywhere. 

“I’m almost ready” came the short reply as Tala picked his jacket off the back of a chair. “That’s what you’re wearing?” The boy questioned.

“Bryan said the same thing” Kai muttered, walking into the bedroom not waiting for an invitation. He missed the relationship he used to share with the fair skinned boy. “It’s not that big of a deal”

“Please tell me you have come up with some way to cover the marks on your body. You know people are going to ask questions” 

“Or I could just say my talented friend painted them on me to look like battle wounds to go with the costume” Kai said with a cheeky grin. 

Tala only rolled his eyes “What are you even supposed to be?” He zipped up the jacket over the T-shirt he had chosen to be a sort of costume if Tyson decided to harass him about not dressing up. 

Kai shrugged and looked at the ground. His idea had sounded like it could have worked, but Tala’s cold responses were beginning to make him think otherwise. “It’s like a vampire hunter or something. Olyvia said it would go good with the glowing contacts I have”

“Except they aren’t contacts and you’re making yourself very vulnerable.” Tala let out a sigh “I’m beginning to wonder if you and Bryan enjoy getting beaten by Boris. You two seem to be doing everything I was pretty sure he told you not to do”

“He told us to blend in. That’s what we’re doing.” Kai defended. He was getting annoyed with Tala and how he was acting “What the hell is your problem?” He spat, sick of Tala being an ass to him.

Tala sat down on his bed. He took out his phone, replying to a couple text messages before answering Kai “I don’t have a problem Kai. I just don’t see why you put yourself through this.”

Kai closed the door, he wanted to have a conversation with Tala and didn’t want Bryan to interrupt. Not that he thought he would, his brother was already on his way to play Daddy and take Kevin out for Halloween. “That’s bullshit, you’ve been an ass to me ever since the dance. Some days you're fine but for the most part you barely say two words to me.”

“What do you want from me? I don’t want to watch my best friend be a complete idiot all the time. Drinking his life away because he can’t deal with shit and half of it you bring on yourself!” Tala countered. This wasn’t an argument he wanted to have but it was one that Tala had been avoiding for weeks. 

Kai was quiet, he wasn’t one for conflict but this was unavoidable. He needed Tala, and he couldn’t stand for the boy to be so distant with him. “I’m trying Tal,” he answered finally. “I haven’t taken any pills and haven’t really drank either. I don’t know what else to do.” He looked at his closest friend, “I don’t like this, whatever this is between us.”

Tala looked away, he couldn’t stand to see the hurt look on Kai’s face. He knew the other boy wouldn’t be able to understand “Friends grow apart Kai...people change.”

Kai shook his head “not us, please I really am sorry about the night at the dance and everything else I’ve put you through. I’m trying to prove to you that I can do things sober. I don’t need alcohol to get through everything. 

“I know, I’ve seen it.” Tala thought carefully about what to say next. He knew he and Kai couldn’t be what they once were. But he hated the distance between them as much as the slate haired boy across the room “It’s just been hard to see you with Rei all the time.” he took a slow measured breath. There he said it. He was jealous that the black haired boy could have with Kai what he never could. 

Kai walked towards Tala, sitting on the bed beside him. “Rei isn’t really that bad. I still care about you Tal, I’ll always care about you.” Crimson eyes met blue as the two stared at each other “Can I ask one more question?” 

Tala nodded as he looked at the boy sitting beside him. He hated to admit but Olyvia had picked the perfect costume for Kai. It outlined his body perfectly, leaving little to the imagination. The boy’s thoughts drifted as his eyes grazed down Kai’s body, taking in the ripcord muscles of his arms, thinking of them wrapped around his body and holding him tight against rock hard abs as Kai kissed him.

Shaking the thoughts from his head, Tala had to think about what Kai had said to him. “Uh, sure?” He got up quickly and walked to the closet. The room had suddenly gotten quite warm and Tala didn’t want Kai to see him blushing. He made it seem like he wanted to choose a different jacket as he tore the one he was wearing off and tossing it aside. 

Kai watched Tala as he rose quickly, almost falling over in his haste to get to the closet. “Did you ever stop sleeping around?” he asked, ignoring the other boy’s sudden outburst.

Aqua eyes widened and Tala’s hand gripped the sleeve of the sweater he was brushing past. “Why...why do you ask? Did Bryan say something?” He refused to turn around, not wanting to meet the look of the other boy. The threads of the sweater in front of him suddenly became very interesting.

Standing up, Kai moved slowly towards Tala. He could see the other’s shoulders tense when the question was asked. “No, you kinda told me yourself when you said you got pregnant.”

Tala turned around, he heard Kai’s voice getting closer as he answered. The red head let out a sigh, still holding the sweater in his hand as it fell from the hanger. “That doesn’t mean anything. It was yours” Tala’s mind was reeling at how both the brothers had found out his secret. He had been extremely careful and mostly turned tricks when the boys were with Boris. 

“It couldn’t have been mine” Kai replied, stuffing his hands in his pocket as he stared at a sock on the floor. “Boris made sure I was sterile. You wouldn’t exactly want your greatest experiment to be able to reproduce” He said, trying to make light of the situation. 

Dread and embarrassment filled Tala, he suddenly felt sick to his stomach and knew his face had gone ever more pale than it usually was. That explained how Bryan had found out. He wondered why the elder didn’t say anything to him then. “I...I didn’t know that” the boy answered finally, hugging his arms around himself.

Kai didn’t mean to upset Tala, it was obvious that the other boy was quite uncomfortable with the conversation. He walked closer to his friend and placed his hands on Tala’s. He wove his fingers through the other boy’s and brought the wall down between them. “Why do you keep selling yourself? If it’s for the money, you know that Bryan will give you anything you want. He took you away from that place to give you a better life.” 

Tears started to well in blue eyes. Tala didn’t know what to say, he felt awful. He hated his body and disconnected from it every time he turned a trick. It wasn’t his body. It was a female body that he was currently wasting away in. 

Strong arms wrapped around the small frame as tears began to fall. Embarrassment taking over. Tala didn’t know what to say. He didn’t have an answer for Kai as to why he kept whoring himself out. He didn’t want to be a charity case but he knew the brothers didn’t think of him like that at all. He knew they thought of him as family. He didn’t want to feel like a burden.

Tala buried his face in Kai’s chest and let the taller boy hold him tightly.. On one hand it was horrible having Kai know his secret, but at the same time it was a sigh of relief that he didn’t have to hide anymore. He knew this was the end of his trick lifestyle and he was okay with that. Bryan had given him what he needed to get the body he wanted. He wouldn’t be living in a lie anymore. 

The red head pulled away, wiping at the tears on his face. He noticed the wet spot on Kai’s chest where the tears had dampened the skin “I’m sorry” he muttered, using the hoodie that somehow was still in his hand to wipe at the water on Kai’s chest. 

“Don’t be. I just want you to know I’ll always be here for you. So will Bryan. You’re stuck with us now and have to put up with us as long as we’re still around.” Kai gave Tala a final hug and pulled away “We should get going though. Rei’s probably wondering where we are.”

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 

Rei looked at the time on his phone for the 100th time. He got anxious every time he was supposed to hang out with Kai. Whether he was getting picked up after school or from home, he constantly worried if he was going to be ready on time or if Kai was going to change his mind and just decide not to see him. 

He had gone to the thrift store with Tyson and Max the week before to find a costume. He had saved up a little money from the theatre job he had but he didn’t want to spend a lot on something he would only be wearing for a night. Max and Tyson had also picked up a few things to go with their costumes so he didn’t feel so bad about having to get thrift store clothes. 

He had found a hockey jersey that was just a little big. It was blue and white with a lightning bolt logo on it. Hilary made him a small flag with the matching logo and Tyson had a hat that matched the hockey team as well. 

Rei was going as a hockey fan, Candace had helped paint the lightning bolts on his cheeks to finish his costume. The boy adjusted the hat on his head again. He didn't usually wear hats, and it felt weird on his head. 

"Rei! Are you coming? Mom wants to take a picture of us in our costumes!" little Kevin called from the hallway. 

Rei smiled to himself, Kevin was very excited about the evening. He, like Rei, usually only had hand-me-down costumes or homemade ones. This was the first time Kevin had gotten a real costume from the store. The boy had been wearing it all day, and any chance Candace would let him. "I'll be right out" He called to his brother, fixing the hat once more before letting out a sigh, this was the best it was going to get. 

Opening the door, Rei exited the bathroom and walked down the short hallway to where Candace was kneeling down, adding a few more touches to Kevin's face paint. "Chase is on the case!" Kevin said, quoting the character he was portraying as he bounced over to Rei, "Are you coming trick or treating too! Bryan is coming over, and he's coming with mommy and me". 

“No, I’m going with my friends tonight.” Rei said, ruffling his brother’s hair.

Candace stood up, chuckling. It made her heart swell at how excited her youngest son was. She was also happy that Rei was making friends and going out with them as well. The tiny woman was dressed in a bright pink thigh height dress. She had her hair pulled into two ponytails with a pair of pink goggles placed like a headband. "You look like a true hockey fan," She complimented. 

Rei smiled faintly "Thanks." He looked over his mom's outfit "Are you supposed to be Skye?" He asked, naming another character from Kevin's favourite show. Given it was a children's show, he was impressed with what Candace had come up with. 

"Yes, Kev wanted Bryan and me to dress up with him." She said with a laugh. Candace picked up Kevin’s hat off the table “Come over her sweetie, let me get a couple pictures before we got out okay?”

Kevin scampered over and bounced in place as Candace placed the police hat on her youngest son. Rei knelt down to be at his brother’s level as the young boy backed up against Rei. 

“Okay boys. Smile” Candace said, holding her phone out and taking a few snaps of her children. They both seemed quite excited for the night ahead "I hear you guys are all going out before the party as well?" She said to Rei as the boy stood back up, towering once again over his mom and kid brother.

Rei nodded as he took out his phone to check the time again. "yeah, I guess Kai has never been out on Halloween before so Tyson thought that we needed to take him out for the experience"

"Well isn't that nice of you. You boys behave okay? Are you coming home tonight?" She asked, getting food from the fridge to make the boys a sandwich before they went out. 

"Yeah, I think so. I'll let you know if that changes. I might stay at Max's if it's too late. Can I let you know?" The dark-haired boy asked as he got plates from the cupboard. He called Kevin to come to the table to have a quick dinner before going out for the night 

Candace finished making the sandwich for her youngest and set it down in front of the boy "Yes, let me know before 10 though okay? I don't want to be up all night worrying about you" She said, the stern tone of a mother in her voice. 

Rei grinned and nodded "Don't worry, I will. I don't want to get grounded again." He made himself a sandwich and sat beside Kevin. "Did Bryan say what time they were coming?" He asked. He remembered Kai had given him a time, but he just wanted reassurance that it was the correct time. 

Picking up her phone, Candace scrolled through the messages. "He said they'd be here around 5:30. So they should be here anytime." Smiling at her phone, she started typing before setting the device back down. 

Golden eyes noticed the light blush that had bloomed on his mother's cheeks. He could only imagine what the message had said. "So, do you think Bryan will actually dress up?" Rei asked, taking a bite of his sandwich. 

Candace poured each of them a glass of water and set them down in front of her boys before taking her seat across from them "He said he was going to. He asked which character he should dress up as. I guess we'll see" She smiled to herself "He hasn't ever been trick or treating either. I'm so surprised those boys have never done that."

Rei took a sip of his water, thanking Candace for it. He was curious to see what Kai and Bryan would be wearing. Kai had said Olyvia was helping him with his costume because she had gotten an idea from the dance they had last month "Maybe it wasn't something that was celebrated where they're from?" Rei suggested. Or it could be they lived in a lab most of their lives, but Rei wasn't about to voice that observation. 

"I guess I never thought of that. I just assumed they had always lived here. Bryan never mentioned anything about having lived anywhere else" Candace gave a small shrug. She still didn’t know much about the man who was starting to steal her heart. She only wished Rei would give Bryan more of a chance to see that he really was a good guy and was good to them too. 

A knock on the door interrupted their dinner. Candace got up to get the door, letting her sons finish their dinner. She wanted to make sure they both ate before going out for the night.

Opening the door, Candace smiled at the man on the other side. He stood a full foot taller than she did and that height was always increased by the combat boots he wore everywhere. “Hey baby” Candace beamed, hugging the lavender haired man. 

Bryan leaned down to kiss Candace. “Hey” he answered as she let him go and backed into the tiny apartment to let the other man in. 

“Bryan!” A shriek sounded from the kitchen as Kevin heard the deep voice in the door way. He bounded out of his seat and ran over to Bryan in a little blur, latching on to the man’s leg.

Rei came walking out of the kitchen hoisting his backpack over his shoulder “And that’s my cue to leave” He muttered, giving Bryan a nod of acknowledgement “Is Kai here?”

The taller man shook his head as he knelt down to reciprocate Kevin’s hug. “Should be here soon. They left after me”

Rei closed the door behind him. He didn't want to see his mom be all lovely with Bryan. He hated it. Rei didn't trust the man and knew there was something terrible about him. He acted too perfect, there had to be things he was hiding. He had too much money, was vague with anything about his personal life, and could charm his way through anything. 

He pulled his phone out of his back pocket as he leaned against Bryan's fancy sports car. Rei didn't want to seem desperate but wanted to text Kai to find out how much longer he was going to be. It would be embarrassing if he was still waiting outside when Candace and the other two came to leave. 

Instead of texting Kai, Rei pulled up one of the files that Kenny’s computer had helped him move from the computer to the phone. This way he was able to continue to read about the secret Russian experiment and not have to keep the laptop out. 

October 5 2003

It has been 18 months since the start of the Hiwatari Program. 11 subjects remain. Today will be the beginning of Phase Two. The remaining subjects are placed in the Sensory Deprivation Tanks. The subjects are being monitored for cognitive movement, heart conditions as well as internal organ stability. 

The first serum injection will affect the physical attributes of the subject. Stamina and strength will increase at an accelerated rate and surpass those of other humans at their age. The body will need time to adjust to the first serum before the second can be injected. It is projected that it will take three to five months depending on the subject. Those whose body does not adjust in the given timeframe will be eliminated from the program. 

Group A:

The subjects of this group are the youngest in the program. A male and female both age 6. They have both surpassed the physical trials. The male surpassed all groups in the mental trails. High expectations are set for these two to be the models of the program. 

The vitals of the subjects have remained stable and the first injection has been administered. 

It has been 30 minutes since the injection, female’s heart rate has increased by 30 BPM. Other vitals remain the the same

Male subject showed slight body spasm at 48 minutes. Heart rate elevated to 120BPM, lowered and stabilized within three minutes.

Rei continued to read about the rest of the experiments going through their first injection. One of the kids had a heart attack within seconds of the serum going through his body. He was so engulfed in reading about the experiment, he didn’t even notice the SUV pull up behind Bryan’s car. 

"Are you coming? Or just going to keep staring at your phone?” Kai's voice broke Rei from his phone. The boy had poked his head out the window and Rei was sure Kai's eyes were glowing red. He shook his head as he walked to the SUV. It must be a trick of the light. 

He was anxious about getting in the vehicle, his nerves going into overdrive every time he was around the slate haired boy. His heart trying to beat out of his chest while butterflies fluttered through his stomach.

Rei got in the back seat behind Kai "Sorry, uh I was just scrolling through social media" he lied. "Wait, are your eyes red?" curiosity beating out the nervous feeling inside him. He didn't miss the subtle glance Tala gave Kai before backing out of the driveway. It seemed the redhead knew the way to Max's as he started driving in the right direction

"They're contacts. Liv said they would go great with the costume, so I put them on. Why do they look dumb?" The slate haired boy asked, getting self-conscious of his unnatural eyes once again. He knew he should've just put the contacts in.

Shaking his head quickly, Rei leaned back in his seat "No, I think they're sick. I think it would be cool if they were natural. Imagine having glowing eyes?” 

Kai gave a smile and turned back to face Rei, feeling better about his appearance and his eyes. "Thanks! So what are you supposed to be?" He asked, looking over the hat and Rei's costume. "NHL fan?"

Rei looked down at his shirt "Uh, I think I'm just a hockey fan? I forget what team Tyson said it was. Something from Florida I think." He pulled his hat off to examine the logo, he couldn't for the life of him remember the team name.

"It's the Tampa Bay Lightning" Tala piped up from the driver seat, speaking for the first time since Rei got in the vehicle. Annoyance dripping from his voice. The redhead had a hard time hiding his jealousy of the golden eyed boy.

Both Rei and Kai turned to look at Tala, surprised that he talked, yet more surprised he knew the team. "Since when have you known sports?" Kai inquired, he hadn’t known that about his best friend.

"My dad watched a lot of sports shit when I was a kid" The tone used said Tala wasn't going to elaborate more than that. 

"So are you coming out with us Tal?" Kai asked the redhead, changing the subject from sports teams. He leaned with his back against the window so he could see both Rei and Tala. 

The other boy gave a shrug as he turned onto the street Max lived on. It was in a decent section of the city where most of the middle class lived. The houses were cute and small, nothing overly elaborate but still well taken care of "I think so. Sounds like all the girls are getting together at Hilary's and then us at Max's. We're meeting at the party when you guys are done."

"You going to collect candy with us? It's going to be fun." 

"I'll go out with everyone, but I don't know if I'll get that into it. I'm fine walking around with you guys." 

"Man you gotta loosen up a bit, have some fun" Kai nudged Tala, trying to get him to lighten up.

Tala rolled his eyes and pulled up to Max's house. "I will have fun. I just don't get as excited about things like the rest of you. It's not that I'm not going to enjoy myself." 

The three of them got out of the car. This was the first time Rei got a good look at Kai and his breath caught in his lungs as he saw Kai's costume. The tallest of them was wearing fitted black jeans that were ripped up the front of the thighs. A black leather vest over his shoulders. 

Rei couldn’t help but stare at the corded muscles of Kai’s abs. He’d never seen Kai without a shirt but it was better than he imagined. There wasn’t an ounce of fat on the boy in front of him, it was obvious Kai worked out religiously. There was no other explanation for the body before him. 

Kai smirked and kissed Rei’s cheek. “Like what you see?” he whispered into the other’s ear before giving him another quick peck and walking to the back of the SUV to get the rest of his costume.

The dark haired boy remained frozen as he watched Kai walk away. His eyes lowered to the ass that perfectly cupped in those tight jeans. Rei shifted, adjusting his own jeans as they tightened with the thoughts of what he wanted to do to the ass that walked away from him. 

Taking out the duel swords from the trunk, Kai walked back to where Rei was still standing, unmoving like a statue as he was lost in thought. He buckled the straps over his chest and smiled at the boy in front of him. "You gonna be okay?” 

Rei blushed a deep red at being caught. Thankful that it was dark out and Kai couldn’t see how embarrassingly red his face was, he nodded, still unable to form words.

Kai put his arm around Rei’s shoulders and pulled him close, kissing his cheek. Dark eye makeup shadowed around Kai's eyes, making the red stand out that much more. "C'mon let's go collect some candy."

The dark-haired boy nodded again. His voice was completely gone at being kissed. He was putty around the other teen. He willed his face to drain off the flushed colour and hoped he'd look more normal by the time they got to the house. 

Tala followed the two boys towards the house. A wave of jealousy shooting through him as he watched Kai kiss Rei. Shaking his head, Tala remained quiet. He had a girlfriend and liked Miriam a lot. She knew that he was transgender and still liked him and wanted to be with him. That alone was more than he could ask for. He needed to get over his feelings for Kai, there was nothing more that could be had between the two.

He should have stayed home, but Tala was too good of a friend and cared too much for Kai to leave him to fend for himself through the night. He had always been able to tell when Kai was getting uncomfortable and could quickly provide an escape for the boy when he needed to get away. That was why Tala had come, to make sure Kai remained stable and didn't have a panic attack. 

Tyson greeted the boys as they walked into the house "Hey!" The boy was wearing his usual baseball cap. He had on a large box with a cereal brand on the front of it. There was fake blood coming from holes around the box. "I'm a cereal killer. What do you think?"

Rei couldn't help but laugh. Leave it to Tyson to come up with the weirdest costume of the night. "Looks great Ty." The dark-haired boy walked in and was handed a drink by Tyson. He held onto it, debating if he should drink it or not. He had been doing well the past couple months and had been good with his medication. It would help a lot with his nerves. 

Rei’s heart skipped a beat as he now saw Kai’s costume in the light. Yeah, he needed the drink. He cracked open the can and took a drink of the alcoholic beverage. 

"Damn Kai, way to show up the rest of us." Tyson hollered, continuing to be a good host and handing the other two boys drinks as Max came up the stairs. 

"Hey guys." the blonde said, offering his hand to take the beer can from Tala, knowing the redhead didn't drink. He'd get him a pop or water once they got to the basement. Max had on a traditional karate uniform with a black belt tied around his waist.

"Are you actually a black belt?" Rei asked curiously, taking another sip of his drink. The taste was awful and the beer was warm but it would do the job.

Max smiled proudly, "yeah. I've been taking lessons since I was little. It's a lot of fun and they continue to challenge you, so it never gets boring. I didn't find a costume I liked so I figured I would wear this."

Rei nodded "We'll I just tossed on a jersey and a hat. Tyson looks to be the one that went all out"

"Man you guys need to get more into the spirit of halloween. It's all about the costume. As long as you don't have to guess what you're supposed to be then you've done it right." He looked over at Kai "What are you anyways? The glowy creepy eyes and the swords. You like a demon slayer or something?"

Kai looked down the drink in his hand, once against regretting not wearing the contacts. "I think so. Liv said like a demon hunter or something, so I guess that's the same thing" He took a long drink from the can in his hand, emptying it. 

Tyson turned his attention to the redhead who was being his usual quiet self and keeping to himself. "What about you? Wait, you didn't even dress up" disappointment in his voice.

Tala shrugged and unzipped his jacket. He had never overly liked Tyson but put up with him for Max and Tyson’s sake. The other boy was too animated for Tala’s liking. “I’m Iron Man not in his suit” Tala stated, showing the black T-shirt with the superhero logo on the front. 

"Dude that's like cheating. You could've done so much better. No one's going to give you candy dressed like that." Tyson babbled on

Max walked over and put his arm around Tyson, guiding his eccentric friend towards the stairs. "Hey why don't we go downstairs and play a game of pool or two before we head out? It'll just be all the little kids right now anyways."

"Yeah I think that would be fun" Rei said, following Tyson and Max downstairs. He stopped and looked at Kai and Tala "Are you guys coming?"

Kai nodded "We'll be down in a sec, Tala wants a smoke so I'm going to keep him company." Rei shrugged and continued to walk downstairs. 

Kai and Tala walked outside and towards the SUV where Tala had left his cigarettes. "Are you going to be okay tonight?" He asked the blue haired teen as he lit a cigarette. "You already seem on edge."

Kai rolled his eyes, Tala didn't need to babysit him like this. "I'm fine. I just don't like Tyson getting in my face like that. I'll be good. Stop worrying about me so much" 

"Then stop giving me reasons to worry about you. You don't make this easy on yourself by subjecting yourself to these situations all the time." blue eyes glared into red. 

Kai put his hands behind his head and leaned against the SUV "If I keep doing this, then maybe it will get easier. I'm sick of avoiding my friends and Rei because I don't know how to act in these situations."

"It's not that you don't know how to act. You just don't have the emotional capacity for it. It's the same with Bryan, as much as you two keep trying to be normal as you call it. There's always going to be limitations. You can't keep pushing yourself so far that you break down. It's why you have panic attacks."

Kai looked up at the sky, watching the smoke from Tala's dart rise into the air "We were created to be able to integrate seamlessly into any environment. This is the first time we've struggled even a little. It’s just another test I have to get past and I’ll be fine"

Tala tossed the finished cigarette aside. "The reason it's a struggle is you're letting yourself feel intense emotions that you can't comprehend. Both of you let yourselves fall for someone and neither of you knows how to actually deal with that" 

It was frustrating watching the two of them. At times Tala seemed like the parents and was taking care of these two boys who still had no idea how to act in the real world. Some of it made sense from what he had learned through Kenny’s laptop and what the boys had told him over the years. He just didn’t understand why the brothers didn’t seem to understand their limits.

The boy walked away from his friend, leaving Kai behind to ponder what he had said. He knew he was right. He had a similar conversation with Bryan a few weeks ago when he tried to get him to talk to Candace. It had gotten annoying watching Bryan stay high enough that he could barely function just to deal with the pain of not being around Candace. They needed to get out from under that scientist's grasp and stop living in fear of losing everything. 

Kai followed Tala inside. He thought about what Tala had said. He did like Rei, but that couldn't be why things were difficult, was it? He liked Tala and didn't seem to have any problems expressing himself around the redhead. Why was it so hard to do so around Rei. 

"Hey Kai, you're on Rei's team. Tala's on ours" Tyson stated as the boys joined the others in the basement. "You can play pool right?" 

Taking the cue that Tyson handed to him, Kai nodded and walked around the table. He inspected the balls and their locations to determine his best shot. He leaned against the table and lined up his shot. It was an easy one. He wouldn't make it evident that he could easily win this game. He shot the cue against the white ball and it bounced off the blue striped one, sinking it. "Yeah, I think I can play."

Tyson's jaw dropped. That was a shot that shouldn't have been possible. How did Kai manage to do that? It had to be beginner's luck. "Damn...guess we've got some competition eh Maxie?" He turned his hat so it was backwards and lined up a shot of his own. 

The five boys played pool and enjoyed a couple drinks before finally deciding it was time to take Kai around the area and show him the spirit of Halloween and what he had been missing out on. 

By this point Tyson and Rei both had a decent buzz going on. Max had only had a drink. He knew Tyson would wind up drinking too much through the night and he didn’t want to leave the babysitting on Tala until they got to the party. The two of them were going to have their hands full with the drunk boys. Kai had also had a few drinks but appeared to hold his alcohol much better than Rei and Tyson. 

"So you just walk up to the house and knock on the door?" Kai asked as he stood with Tyson and Rei. He was holding a plastic pumpkin with a handle that Tyson had given him. 

They were on the sidewalk in front of a house that was heavily decorated. White webs weaved around between the wooden pillars of the porch. Orange and white lights wound around each pillar lighting up the porch. Jack O'Lanterns lined up the steps, each carved from the family members of the house. There was a graveyard scene set up in the front yard, a few skeleton hands came out from the ground. 

Tyson grinned and nodded "Yeah, then when the peeps open the door you say trick or treat" the boy instructed, holding out his own pumpkin basket in his hands to show what Kai should do. 

Rei grinned, he had a dumb smile on his face at the thought of Kai saying trick or treat to the person on the other side of the door. He didn't think he was going to enjoy the night as much as he was so far. "Then they give you candy and we move on to the next one." he added to Tyson’s explanation. 

Max and Tala stood off to the side. They had decided they would just follow the three of them and make sure they didn't get in trouble "Did you go out for Halloween when you were a kid?" Max asked Tala. 

Tala kept his blue eyes on Kai as Tyson and Rei coaxed the boy up the path towards the house. Kai seemed unsure about the situation "I did a few times when I was really little. My parents weren't home much" 

The blonde gave a nod and watched with Tala as the other three got up to the house. He wasn’t one to press when it was obvious the other didn’t want to provide more information. There was a group of little kids in front of them knocking on the door already. "Maybe you should get up there with them then" he tried. 

Shaking his head, Tala stayed quiet. Halloween had been some of the first experiences Tala could remember getting to express himself as a boy. His mom had let him dress up in whatever he wanted. He remembered always wanting to be a different superhero. Iron Man had always been his favourite. “It’s okay. Let them enjoy the night.”

Tyson and Rei stood behind Kai as they walked up the steps once the young kids had left to go to the next house. "Alright buddy, your turn." 

Kai hesitated and looked to Rei for reassurance, "I don't know. Maybe this wasn't a good idea. I can just go buy us a lot of candy if you'd rather" He didn't like the idea of exposing himself like this. What was the joy in taking candy from strangers anyways. Weren't you supposed to avoid that?

He knew very little of his Russian background having never seen the country outside of the laboratory windows. He had only remembered what Boris had told him when he was younger and asked to go out with his friends. It was disrespectful and not something one of Russian culture did.

Rei smiled and stood up beside Kai. He knocked on the door for the blue haired boy "Okay ready?" He said to Kai, taking the boy's hand to help make him feel better. 

Kai glanced down at their entwined fingers and nodded. "Trick or treat!" The three of them said as the owner of the house opened the door. 

The lady behind the door was dressed in a black dress and a witch's hat. She had on a greying wig under the hat. “And what do we have here?” She asked as she held out the bowl of candy. It was nice to see some older kids still out enjoying their childhood. “These are great costumes.”

Tyson grinned as he took a couple pieces of candy “Thanks. We put a lot of work into them” 

“And what are you supposed to be?” she asked, allowing Kai and Rei to each take some candy. 

“Well I’m a cereal killer” Tyson said, doing the talking for the three of them “He’s a Tampa Bay fan and the other guy is a demon slayer”

The woman smiled “You’ve obviously put a lot of thought into these” she said looking the costumes over “Those contacts are great. You boys enjoy the rest of your night” She said, closing the door behind her.

Tyson grinned "Thanks lady" He bounced down the stairs and turned to the other boys as they got to the bottom "See! That wasn't so bad" 

Kai stayed quiet and kept walking down the path. That had been awful. How did people actually enjoy this? He was nervous the whole time, but at the same time he anticipated the person opening the door. "I guess it wasn't too bad. So like how long do we do this?"

Rei laughed. Kai was cute in the fact he had no idea how something as simple as Halloween worked. "Until you get bored or you think you have enough candy. We don't have to do this too long" 

"No, it's cool. Let's do a few more. It wasn't that bad. I'll actually knock on the door this time." Kai said, grinning while Tala smiled at him. This was unlike anything he had done before. Kai was getting a real human experience. He never realized how much he actually missed out on, with being a lab rat. What other surprises did this world have in store for him?

"Alright then, let's head onto the next one. We have to get moving if we want to hit a lot of places. Most people stop handing out candy around 8, so we've only got just under an hour" Tyson said, all but dragging Kai to the next house, Rei right behind them.

"He handled that a lot better than I thought he would," Max stated as he walked beside Tala, staying behind to keep the redhead company. The two having to walk quickly to keep up with Tyson and the others.

Tala shoved his hands into his pockets. "He surprises me every day. Sometimes you think he's going to freak out and not handle the situation and other times, he blends right in."

"He's gotten better over the years. You weren't there when Kai first started at school when we were little. It was like he had no idea how the world actually worked. He had just gotten thrown into a new dimension that was nothing like how he was raised." 

"It's basically what did happen. They moved from their home town and got thrown into a new environment that was unlike what either of them grew up" Tala muttered. He knew Max had the laptop. He had let Tala borrow it to read the reports before Tala gave it back. It was something he didn’t want Bryan to know existed still. Tala wondered how much of the experiments Max had actually read about.

Max saw Tala tense up beside him. He gave a reassuring smile "Don't worry, I know what you mean and I won't say anything. I kinda like my life some days and don't want it cut short."

The five boys continued going from house to house for the next hour. Kai got more comfortable with each house and soon he was running with Tyson and Rei, laughing with them as they enjoyed the night ahead of them. 

"I can't believe I've never done this before!" The blue haired boy exclaimed as he, Tyson and Rei walked back to Max and Tala. "Why can't we do this every year?" The baskets the boys held were getting quite full. They wouldn’t be able to hold much more.

Rei laughed. The alcohol settling in his system and making him giddy, as they continued on "It's frowned upon as you become a teenager and an adult. I'm actually impressed how many people gave us candy. I was expecting more people to turn us away. 

"Dude it's all because I'm a cereal killer. The adults love punny costumes. It was genius"

"Yeah whatever you say Tyson" Max laughed "When did you want to go to Julia's?" the blonde asked the group as they ventured back to Max's house. 

“In a couple hours? You don’t want to be the dorks that show up right on time? Why don’t we head back to your place and game some more? Maybe play some pool. I really think I could kick Kai’s ass now.” Tyson suggested. The houses were starting to darken as parents brought their children home Porch lights were turned off letting the children who were still out know that they were done for the night.

The other boys nodded in agreement. Kai was pretty much done with going from house to house and could use another drink before being sardines in Julia’s house with the whole school.

Once they got back to the house, Tyson wasted no time in making sure everyone had another drink in hand. Max shook his head as he followed behind Tyson and offered Tala a bottle of water, taking the beer can from him. “He’ll learn one of these days” He apologized to Tala.

Rei took a seat beside Kai on the couch. The other boy had removed the swords from his back and they leaned against the side of the couch. He lifted his arm up so Rei could curl against him. Kai kissed Rei on the head and took a drink of his beer. He was already getting tired from all the socializing and the night had barely begun.

“Will Olyvia be at the party?” Rei asked, his head leaning into Kai’s chest. They were watching the Tala beat Tyson at a game of Darts while Max kept score. 

Kai let out a quiet sigh and nodded "Yeah. She's really good friends with Julia. I wouldn't be surprised if she's been there since this afternoon." He looked down at Rei, his arm was around the boy, holding his against his chest as Rei played with Kai's hand "Why?"

Rei gave a shrug and focused on Kai's hand and the ripped arm around him "No reason. Do you think she'll be mad about us going together?"

"It doesn't matter. Her and I aren't dating. We never were. I know she likes me and I've tried to like her the same way. But I can't, she's just my best friend."

“Have you told her about us?” Rei asked as he looked up at the crimson eyes that were suddenly focused on the game going on across the room. “Kai?” he pried, wanting an answer so he knew what to expect from the green haired girl that night

Kai took a deep breath, letting out a long sigh. Rei shifting with the rise and fall of the other boy’s chest. “No. I told her I was coming to Julia’s with you. I didn’t really know what else to tell her.”

Anger flared through Rei quickly, jealousy surged through him at the mere thought of Olyvia even touching his Kai. He stayed quiet as he reigned in his anger. His eyes turned a more vibrant gold and he lifted his head to look Kai in the eye “You could tell her we’re together and to back off.” he said sharply. 

Shifting on the couch, Kai moved so Rei was completely off him and sitting beside him “I wasn’t aware we were actually dating” Kai shot back. Where was the hostility coming from? “I can tell her that tonight if you want. We hadn’t really talked about it.”

Rei nodded and crawled closer to Kai, pressing his body against the other as he pushed kai back on the couch. “I would like that” He growled against Kai, kissing him passionately, claiming his mouth for himself.

"Yo, guys enough with the mushy crap lets go get wasted!" he tossed the last dart at the board and downed the rest of his drink, breaking the two from their makeout session.

"Pretty sure you're already there," Max said as he started to clean up the mess they had made. His parents were great about letting him have his friends over, but he had to make sure to keep the basement clean so not to lose the privilege. 

Tyson laughed "Yeah, I think so" He started to help Max gather up the empties. Most of them were his anyways. "You guys ready?" He asked once they were done cleaning up. 

Tala was going to drive them since he was the only one who hadn't had a drink. The five boys, still dressed in their costumes, walked upstairs quietly. Max's parents and sister were already in bed and they didn't want to be rude and wake them. 

Getting into the car they all buckled up and Tala started to drive to Julia's. Rei sat close to Kai, holding his hand, entwining their fingers together. Kai was his and he was going to make sure that green haired bitch knew that before the night ended. 

"Where does Julia live anyways?" Rei asked as he looked out the window. It was dark but he could tell they were going to a much more affluent end of the city 

"Not too far from my place" Kai said, he was sitting in the middle, between Tyson and Rei. He sat closer to Rei, their thighs touching. 

"You live around here?" Rei questioned, looking at Kai surprised. He knew they had money but he still assumed it was because Bryan was a drug dealer. He figured they lived on their own and just used having an uncle as an excuse to get out of things. He didn’t think they actually had an authoritative figure in their lives. 

The boy nodded "Yeah my uncle's place is a few blocks away from Julia's" He looked past Rei and out the window. He debated on bringing Rei back to his house after the party. Boris shouldn’t be home until the next day.

Cars were parked along the sides of the road as they got closer to their destination. They could hear the music booming from the house as they drove up the long driveway. They went through an iron gate entrance and up a winding driveway. Manicured trees and gardens lined the driveway up to a roundabout at the front of the house. A huge ivory fountain was the centerpiece to the cobblestoned driveway.

Rei watched as valets opened the door to let the guests out of the vehicles before taking them and parking them on the grass in the front yard. The house was enormous and more massive than anything Rei had ever seen. He was positive his whole apartment was going to fit in the fountain alone.

Tala followed the progression of cars that were in line for the valet. He pulled up next and a man opened the door, another man opened the back door. They greeted the boys as they piled out of the car and Tala handed the keys to the valet to park the car. 

Rei moved so he was closer to Kai, he was intimidated by the sheer size of the home. Half the city had to be here. He had heard about city parties but had never expected it to actually be how they were portrayed in the movies.

He stared up at the marble entryway. They weren’t even in the house yet and Rei was sure the front entrance was worth at least a million dollars alone. He wondered if the gold was real that wrapped around parts of the pillars holding the roof above them. He looked at the steps and was sure they were marble or some sort of expensive rock, polished until they shined.

"Are you ready?" Kai asked, taking Rei's hand. More to calm his own nerves than Rei's. He didn't care if people stared at them. He was used to it. 

"Yeah I think so" Rei answered as they started to walk towards the house. The bass vibrating Rei's insides. He had barely heard Kai over the sound.


	12. Chapter 12

Bryan had left Kai alone in the kitchen. He didn’t need another lecture from the other teen in the house. He got enough of them from Tala. Walking to his car, he took a sip of the water in his hand. Who did the two of them think they were, trying to tell him how to live his life and what he should and shouldn’t do. 

Slamming the door as he got in the camaro. Bryan started the car and tore out of the driveway. He was more angry than he needed to be and trying to attribute it to nerves with having to see Candace. It was getting easier but he still had those annoying butterflies in his chest every time he saw her. He wondered if that feeling ever went away.

He drove towards Candace’s house, thinking about the night ahead. There were already kids out going from house to house with their parents. Soon Bryan would be out there with them, doing the same thing with Kevin. He slowed the car down and observed the families. 

Did the parents go to the house with the kid? Did they let the kid go by themselves? He didn’t want to look like a complete idiot tonight so he watched the families on his drive to see how things were done. 

Once satisfied he knew how Halloween worked and cursed Boris and his life givers once again for depriving him of basic childhood memories he continued his way to Candace’s. The houses were getting smaller and less kept together. Yards had junk in them, some houses had windows boarded up. 

He needed to get her out of this area. Why wouldn’t she just let him get her a house. It wasn’t like it was a big expense for him. Then she would be safe and actually have a bedroom. It was the least Candace deserved. Bryan would give her the world if he could.

Bryan pulled in front of the small building that had been turned into multiple apartment units. Candace and the kids lived in the basement unit. He was sure it didn’t follow building codes and broke a few regulations. 

Bryan got out of his car and opened the trunk to pull out the helmet and firefighter vest a buddy of his lent him. He wasn’t sure about the whole costume thing but Kevin had seemed to really want him to dress up. 

Draping the vest over his shoulder and holding the hamlet in the same hand, he walked down the crumbling steps to the apartment. He knocked on the door and waited for an answer.

Opening the door, Candace smiled at the man on the other side. He stood a full foot taller than she did and that height was always increased by the combat boots he wore everywhere. “Hey baby” Candace beamed, hugging the lavender haired man. 

Bryan leaned down to kiss Candace. “Hey” he answered as she let him go and backed into the tiny apartment to let the other man in. 

“Bryan!” A shriek sounded from the kitchen as Kevin heard the deep voice in the doorway. He bounded out of his seat and ran over to Bryan in a little blur, latching on to the man’s leg. He had barely gotten in the door. He set the vest and helmet on the ground and knelt down to hug Kevin back. It was still a foreign feeling but he didn’t mind it. 

Rei came walking out of the kitchen hoisting his backpack over his shoulder “And that’s my cue to leave” He muttered, giving Bryan a nod of acknowledgement “Is Kai here?”

“Should be here soon. They were just finishing getting ready when I left” He said, standing back up. Rei said he goodbyes and left quickly. Bryan knew Rei didn’t like him but the feeling was mutual. He just tolerated Rei because he had to. 

"Hey kiddo" The taller man scooped up the small boy once Rei had walked out. Kevin giggled and tried to wiggle free but gave up and hugged Bryan. He thought of the man as a father figure already and hoped he was going to be around for a long time. 

Bryan walked into the kitchen with Kevin in his arms. Candace had walked back once Bryan's attention was focused on her youngest son. She wanted to get things cleaned up before they left. 

Bryan adjusted Kevin in his arms to lean down and kiss Candace “Don't you look cute" She complimented, taking in his outfit. He had on a pair of dark khaki cargo pants, a pair of black doc martens, and a black shirt with white sleeves that he had pushed up to his elbows.. In his hand was a firefighting hat and vest to complete the ensemble.

Setting the boy down, Bryan smiled shyly. "I didn't know what to really do. Kevin already got the cool costume so I guess I figured I'd dress up like the fire fighting dog." He pulled the vest on and set the hat on the table. He’d wear it if Kevin asked him to.

"You need to have spots on you!" Kevin pointed out. "Marshall is white with black spots" the boy described the dalmatian firefighter. "And you have to put the helmet on, then you'll really look like Marshall. Are you going to paint your face white like Marshalls?"

Candace nodded "Your right sweetie, we'll have to give Bryan some face paint.” She looked from her son to the man beside her and laughed at the horrified expression on his face “Why don’t you ask Bryan first if he’d like spots. Not everyone likes to wear face paint.”

Kevin hopped out of his chair and walked over to Bryan “Did you want some spots to look like a dog? You don’t have to do the nose and tongue like me.” He tried to encourage Bryan “And they come right off if you don’t like them.

Bryan let out a small sigh, it was so hard to say no to these two. “Okay, I’ll do a couple spots.”

“Yay! Mom, Bryan said he would like a couple spots. But not a lot in case he doesn’t like them.” Kevin explained, going to the living room to get the face paint off the coffee table. 

Candace kissed Bryan as the small boy ran away. “You really don’t have to do all this you know. He’ll be okay with whatever you do. He just wants you there.” Candace turned to finish cleaning up the table, only to be pulled down into Bryan’s lap. The man kissed her deeply before the boy was coming back. 

“It’s a little paint. I think I’ll be okay.” Kevin came running back and handed the tray of paint and the tiny brush to Candace so she could get to work on Bryan’s face. 

"Do I have enough spots?" Bryan asked as Candace ran her fingers through Bryan's short hair, making it stand up. She smiled and kissed his nose "Yes I think so. What do you think Kev?" She asked her youngest, moving out of the way so Kevin could see her handy work. Bryan had one spot on his left cheek and two on his right. 

Kevin walked over and cocked his head to the side as he examined Bryan's face. The other felt uncomfortable and shifting in his seat as Kevin continued to stare at his face. Finally Kevin gave a nod and a toothy grin "Yup he looks like Marshall now" the boy stated. "When do we get to go mommy?" The young boy was getting impatient and wanted to go candy collecting 

"Yeah mom when do we get to go?" Bryan asked, mimicking the same excitement as the small boy. He picked up the helmet off the table and set it on his head. 

Candace laughed at the boys "We can go now" She said as she picked up a small pink backpack style purse she bought to match her outfit for the night. She enjoyed that Bryan seemed to be enjoying himself and not annoyed about taking her son out for the night. He was completely different than any man she had ever dated before. He was younger than anyone she had dated to. It had worried her at first but so far it seemed to be going well. 

"Yay!" her son exclaimed. Kevin started telling Bryan all about what they were going to do that night and how to tell the best houses that would give the most candy as they put their shoes on and walked out the door.

Candace just smiled as she followed the two of them out to Bryan's car. He was going to drive them to one of the nice subdivisions where Kevin claimed one of his friends told him the best candy was. 

"So you've really never gone out trick or treating?" Candace asked as they started driving, Kevin was occupied by the decorated houses they drove by and the other children that were dressed up and already out collecting candy. 

Bryan shook his head as he watched the road. There were people everywhere as well as cars driving very slowly from house to house. "No," he said quietly, unsure how to elaborate on why he never had. 

By the time he and Kai had gotten out of the lab, Bryan was too old to be 'dressing up' for fun. At least that's what he had gathered from being around other kids his age when Boris had tossed them into an unknown school. He also remembered very little of his life before being in the lab, though he knew the holiday wasn’t celebrated where he was from.

Candace nodded, "How come?" she asked, prying for answers into the man's life 

"It's not really the same type of holiday where I'm from." he paused, wondering how much he could tell her, "Russia's a really private country, so the concept of going door to door of strangers to collect candy is frowned upon. It goes against a lot of religious and political views. So by the time Kai and I moved here to our uncles, I was too old for it and my uncle who's Russian didn't like the idea of us celebrating something that our home country was so against."

Nodding again as she absorbed the information, Candace was surprised that Bryan had told her so much. She had never met such a private person but now learning where he was from. Even something like Halloween went against privacy laws she sort of understood why he wasn't so forthcoming with information "Thank you for sharing that. You didn't have to come with us if this is against your culture" 

Bryan gave a shrug and smirked, placing his hand on Candace’s thigh. Her hand came up and rested on his. "That part of my life doesn't exist anymore. As far as I'm concerned I'm Canadian. So let's go celebrate some Canadian traditions and help Kev bother everyone on this block to give him free candy." He pulled the car behind a truck parked on the side of the road, the occupants having the same idea as Bryan to leave the car behind and just walk from house to house. 

Candace laughed as she got out of the car, opening the door for her son. He jumped out and started to bounce excitedly, wanting to hurry and start gathering the candy "Are you going to come up with me Bryan? We can both get candy!" 

Bryan gave a nod and grinned at the young boy. He placed the red helmet on his head "Of course, I’ll go up with you to every house if you want. But I might leave candy for the other kids." He laughed and followed the small boy to the first house, Candace following behind, just enjoying watching the two boys together. 

It was great how Bryan treated Kevin. He never acted like her son was a burden and always included him whenever they got together. Even at the restaurant, Bryan made sure to acknowledge the boy and ask him how his day was at school. If Candace was busy with customers and Bryan wasn't, he would sit with Kevin to keep him company. He would help him with the young boy's homework as well. 

Kevin led the way up the steps to the next house. This was the last one on the street. It had basic decorations with halloween themed stickers in the windows. Two carved pumpkins were on either side of the front door and a skeleton hung from the door. 

Bryan followed the boy up the steps, he glanced at the vehicle in the driveway and was sure he recognized it from somewhere. It was a custom Ford with a three inch lift kit and oversized tires. The rims and paint for the truck were a matt black while a metallic design was on the hood. Bryan stayed behind Kevin as the little boy knocked, trying to remember where he knew that truck from.

The door opened and Kevin held out his bag “Trick or treat!” He exclaimed excitedly. Beside him, Bryan’s eyes widened with recognition at the man on the other side of the door. 

The man’s eyes met Bryan’s at the same time both of them realized who the other was. He quickly looked away and back down to Kevin “And are you from Paw Patrol?” He asked the boy. When had the brat gotten a child. Clearly he’d been hiding him for a while judging by the age. 

Kevin nodded excitedly and picked a piece of candy from the bowl. “Yeah I’m Chase and Bryan is Marshall! My mom is Skylar but she didn’t want to come up to the house with us” he explained, completely oblivious to the tension between the two older males. 

“Hey Kev, why don’t you run back to your mom and ask her to take you to a couple houses. This is an old friend of mine and I just want to do some catching up okay?” he said to Kevin, sending the little boy bouncing down the steps as he listened obediently “How’s it going Erik” Bryan growled, glaring at the man who was in charge of give Bryan most of his punishments.

“What the fuck are you doing here” The man said, trying to close the door and put distance between he and Bryan. Why was he out with the woman and her child? “Who’s kid did you steal?”

Bryan gave a shrug, putting his foot in the door to keep Erik from closing it. “Nice place you got here. Didn’t know you lived in this neighbourhood” The younger man pushed the door open and leaned against it, letting himself into the house. “You got a wife and a couple kids eh?” He stated noticing the pictures going up the staircase.

Erik tried to push the door closed and put Bryan on the other side. The lavender haired was unstable at best and Erik was trying to not show the fear he felt. Would Bryan do anything to his family? He couldn’t be that heartless. Boris had him under control now. The kid listened and didn’t put up near the fight he used to. The last few rounds of torture had finally worked to break the kid. Right? 

“What do you want Bryan?” Erik hissed. He glanced behind him, pray his wife and children stayed watching their movie 

“Nothing much. Just think it’s pretty neat knowing where you live” A grin played across Bryan’s face. He was enjoying this and could see the fear in the other man. “Wonder how different things could be at work now.? Or you know what your wife would think knowing what you actually do for a living to earn the money you do”

Erik’s eyes widened “You're just bluffing, you wouldn’t say anything to her. You don’t even know my family!” 

Bryan gave a shrug as he stepped back from the door, allowing Erik to close it if he wanted “You never know. I was created to kill and we both know I’m quite good at it.”

“Are you threatening me? Maybe I’ll have to tell Boris about this little house game you're playing. I’m sure he’d like to hear about you little girlfriend and kid” Erik said, confidence coming back to him as he threatened the scientist against the man before him. “You think you're so tough since you're not chained to a wall?” 

Bryan gave a dark laugh and shook his head. He leaned closer to the older man and lowered his voice “If you want your family to live, I suggest against that. You say one word to him about what you saw tonight. I swear I’ll make your life a living hell. Those chains only hold me cause I let them.” With that Bryan stood up straight “Enjoy the rest of your night” his voice much more chipper as he turned and walked down the steps, leaving the man in the doorway to ponder whether Bryan’s threat was real or not 

“Who was that?” Candace asked as Bryan caught up with the mother and son. They had started along the houses on the other side of the street and making their way back towards the car. 

Bryan shrugged, taking the hat off his head and carrying it beside him “An old friend I went to highschool with. Haven’t seen him for a few years” 

“Did you not want to stay and visit? We could have kept walking around if you’d rather” Candace suggested, taking Bryan’s hand and holding it as the two followed Kevin from house to house. The boy decided to go to the houses himself now and wandered off ahead of the adults. 

“No, now that I know where he lives we can catch up another time.” He said lifting Candace’s petite hand to his lips and kissing it. “I’d rather spend the time with you.” 

The two adults continued to follow Kevin up and down the streets as he continued to fill his candy bag. Bryan had started carrying the bag once it got too heavy for Kevin and the little boy would just run up to the houses and come back down with the candy to put in the bag. 

“Mommy how many more houses are we going to?” Kevin yawned as they finished another street. 

Candace smiled and picked up the little boy. He wasn’t much smaller than his mother. “Are we getting tired? Sweetie?”

Kevin nodded and wrapped his arms around Candace’s neck and laid his head on her shoulder “Yes. Can we go home now?” he asked quietly. He was exhausted and had walked a lot that night. His little legs were getting sore. 

Candace nodded "Of course we can. It's been a long night for you. Did you have fun?" The three started the trek back to Bryan's car. The lavender haired Kevin took Candace to carry him back to the car. 

By the time they got back to the car, Kevin was asleep against Bryan's shoulder. He had the boy in one arm and the bag of treats in his other hand. Bryan set Kevin carefully in the back seat and buckled him up. 

Getting in the passenger seat, Candace leaned over and kissed Bryan "Thank you for this. Kevin had such a great time. He really likes spending time with you" 

Bryan shrugged as he backed the car out of the parking spot "Hey, I had fun. It was cool doing something like this. It felt so normal", He all but whispered the last sentence. 

The drive back to the Kon apartment was silent as Kevin slept in the back seat, neither of the adults wanting to risk waking him. Bryan pulled into the parking spot and turned the car off. 

The two got out, Candace got the candy and Bryan carried Kevin in. He brought the boy to his bedroom and laid him in what he assumed was Kevin's bed by the number of stuffed animals piled on it. Candace followed him and got the sleeping boy out of his costume and into a pair of pyjamas without waking him up. 

"Now that takes skill", Bryan commented as the two walked out of the room and Candace closed the door behind him. 

Laughing to herself Candace smiled "It takes practice. Rei was always terrible for just falling asleep everywhere, so I got good at changing and moving him while he's asleep. If I accidentally woke him up, he'd be up for hours no matter how short the nap was."

Bryan shook his head "At least he'd sleep. Kai was horrible for it and barely slept ever. But he always wanted to do things and hated being alone. I got pretty good at sleeping with a TV on since it was the easiest thing to keep him occupied at night."

"That's so sweet of you. No wonder you're so good with Kevin. You've just got a knack for children, don't you?" Candace started taking out the elastics in her hair and set the goggles on the kitchen table.. She ran her fingers through her hair to get rid of the pony tail lines while she walked to the fridge to get the two of them a drink.

Shrugging, Bryan sat down on the couch."I guess so" Kai had been assigned to his group at such a young age, he felt obligated at the time to help the boy. As time went on, he just became like a brother, and Bryan treated him as such. "Babe, we need to get you a bed." He said as Candace handed him the drink.

The petite woman straddled Bryan’s waist. She set her drink on the table behind Bryan and kissed him. “I think this works just fine.” She slid her hands up his shirt, resting them on his chest as she leaned into a kiss.

Giving a quiet groan, Bryan kissed Candace back. " A bedroom...with a door...That's got to be a little enticing?"

Candace laughed and sat back up, looking down at the vibrant green eyes below her. "I can't afford an apartment right now, and no, you're not paying for one" She kissed a trail down along his jawline to his ear, nibbling on the sensitive flesh of his lobe. “So why don’t you shut up and fuck me.”

His breath caught in his throat as Candace nibbled his ear, her hot breath against the tender flesh. Bryan pulled the slender woman closer to him, bringing his lips to hers as he attacked her with a passionate kiss. 

Holding her close to his body, Bryan lifted Candace up with ease. Turning the tables so she was under him, rough calloused hands slid the short dress up her body. Candace lifted her arms so Bryan could remove the dress completely. She was bare to him other than the thin fabric of her lace bra and panties. 

His mouth had gone dry and there was a clench of anticipation low in his belly as Bryan took in the view below him. She was perfect. He cupped one of her breasts in his hand as she pulled him down to lavish his mouth with hers again. Her tongue delved into his mouth, teasing him as she continued her assault. 

The whole experience was new to Bryan. The rare few times he had slept with anyone they had both been extremely intoxicated and they hadn’t remembered much when they sobered up. This was different, he wanted to make Candace feel good and squirm beneath him as she reached her climax. 

Candace tugged at Bryan’s shirt, wanting the fabric between them gone. He hesitated before pulling the shirt of his head, leaving his torso bare to her. Tiny cool fingers traced down a large scar on Bryan’s side. He shuddered slightly at her touch, avoiding making eye contact. He was afraid of what she would say now that she saw his body for the first time. It wasn’t perfect, far from it. 

The petite woman continued to trace the outlines of the scars on the broad man’s chest. She wondered if they came from work. She knew at time he had broken up bar fights and was usually the one that was called when they had to kick out an aggressive customer. 

Candace felt Bryan tense against her touch. She kissed the scar on his chest and pushed lightly so Bryan sat up. She pushed again so she was once more on top and wondered how experienced the young man beneath her was. “Are you okay babe?” she asked, wanting to make sure she wasn’t doing something he didn’t want as Bryan’s body continued to be tense under her. 

Bryan nodded, taking a slow breath to calm himself. As long as she didn’t question where the marks came from he’d be fine. She felt amazing sitting on top of him. He gasped as she wiggled her lips against his throbbing erection. 

Candace kissed a train down Bryan’s chest, nibbling and teasing the lower she went. Her hand skillfully undoing the button of his jeans as she lowered the fly, releasing him from the confines of the material. She took him in her hand and gently stroked his cock. It was already weeping with need.

Green eyes watched with curiosity as the tiny black haired woman continued to move down his body, leaving trails of kisses in her wake. He had never had anyone make him feel like this. They usually just used his body for their own pleasure, never caring about him. 

He let out a gasp as Candace took him in her mouth. His hands gripping the sides of the couch as pleasure took over his body. He could have come right then but he wouldn’t do that. He wanted to be inside her for that.

A moan escaped Bryan’s lips as Candace licked and teased his cock. She gave a small laugh at his pleasure. Candace wanted Bryan to be comfortable, it was obvious this was a new experience to him. He twitched at the vibration of her laugh against him. 

Bryan ran his fingers through the soft tendrils of Candace’s hair. She lifted her head and pulled Bryan’s jeans leaving him completely bare to him. She undid her bra, tossing it aside and taking her panties off. The whole time keeping her eyes locked with Bryan’s as she removed the last of her clothing. 

Her body throbed for Bryan to be inside her and she continued to take full control of the situation as she guided the large cock into her body. He filled her completely and she rocked her hips gently at first. His entire body tensed around her.

Strong hands gripped her thighs, stopping the movement. “Gi-give me a sec” Bryan breathed. She felt amazing around him and he didn’t want things to be over too quickly. 

Candace smiled and leaned forward to kiss Bryan, keeping her lower half still as Bryan composed himself. She deepened the kiss, biting his lip, tugging on it as she pulled back. “What’s the tattoo on your stomach say?” She asked tracing the outline of the graffiti design. 

“Bro-brother” the man whispered, taking a deep breath. Once satisfied he had control over his body again, he started to thrust against Candace. He picked up again like she weighed no more than a feather. 

Remaining inside her, he laid her back on the couch and quickened his pace. One are holding some of his weight off her while the other trailed down her body to the tender nub in the center of her body. 

Bryan took control of their pleasure and continued to thrust into Candace as his slender fingers continued to tease the most sensitive part of her body. He felt her body tense as she came close to orgasm. He continued to tease her body as his other hand started to tease a nipple increasing the tiny womans pleasure. 

Candace moaned against Bryan, she hadn’t expected the sudden dominance after how submissive he had been the first part of the night. She liked this side of him and it turned her on even more. She loved a man who would take control and he knew exactly what he was doing. She took back her previous thoughts of him being inexperienced, he had just been nervous.

She tangled her hands in lavender hair, gripping it tightly as she pulled Bryan’s face closer to hers. She kissed him deeply in between gasps of pleasure. Another moan escaped her lips before she bit down on Bryan’s neck, moaning loudly into him as her release took over her body. 

He didn’t stop, he continued to tease her and let her ride out her orgasm as her entire body tightened around him. Bryan came very soon after, he shook as he released his seed inside Candace and collapsed on top of her, making her his full weight didn’t crush her. 

The two breathed heavily as their exhausted bodies pressed together. Candace kissed Bryan and hugged him tight. “Can you stay the night?” she breathed between catching her breath. 

The man on top of her nodded. The last thing he wanted to do was leave her. “I’m not going anywhere.”


End file.
